NCJ Number
161077
Date Published
1995
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This report details the achievements of the Florida Parole Commission during fiscal year 1994-95 and provides an overview of the Commission and its role in Florida's criminal justice system.
Abstract
Fiscal year 1994-95 saw the redrafting and submission of the Agency Strategic Plan. The Commission Chairman traveled throughout the State to meet with legislators, judges, State attorneys, public defenders, sheriffs, and chiefs of police to discuss the Commission's role in the criminal justice community. During the year, the Commission doubled the number of parole decision meetings held outside of Tallahassee. This was accomplished in part due to additional funding from the 1995 legislature and has generated more public involvement in the Commission's work. The Commission and its staff continue as the investigative arm for the Governor and Cabinet in its role as the Board of Executive Clemency. The requests for clemency relief have increased dramatically due to incarcerated offenders being ineligible for any other form of early release considerations. The need for the early release of inmates due to prison overcrowding ceased in December 1994. This was primarily due to decreased prison admissions, accelerated prison bed construction, and an increase in the lawful prison capacity. The Commission developed and implemented a prerelease screening process for reviewing and identifying low-risk offenders for use in the event of future prison overcrowding. The Commission also began research that will provide the information necessary to recommend to the legislature a streamlined control release program. Sections of this report provide information and statistics on the history of the Commission, its organization, and the 1994-95 achievements of the various Commission offices. Data show the commissioners' workload, the litigation workload, finances, the clemency administration workload, parole grants, the field services workload, and the revocation workload. New legislation enacted in the 1995 legislative session is also reviewed as it relates to parole.