| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to faith- and character-based correctional |
| 3 | institution programs; amending s. 944.803, F.S.; revising |
| 4 | legislative findings; providing legislative intent; |
| 5 | providing requirements for faith- and character-based |
| 6 | programs; deleting provisions relating to funding; |
| 7 | revising requirements for participation; deleting |
| 8 | provisions relating to assignment of chaplains; providing |
| 9 | an effective date. |
| 10 |
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| 11 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 12 |
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| 13 | Section 1. Section 944.803, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 14 | to read: |
| 15 | 944.803 Faith- and character-based Faith-based programs |
| 16 | for inmates.- |
| 17 | (1) The Legislature finds and declares that faith- and |
| 18 | character-based faith-based programs offered in state and |
| 19 | private correctional institutions and facilities have the |
| 20 | potential to facilitate inmate institutional adjustment, help |
| 21 | inmates assume personal responsibility, and reduce recidivism. |
| 22 | (2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the |
| 23 | department expand the faith- and character-based initiative |
| 24 | through the use of faith- and character-based institutions. The |
| 25 | department is encouraged to phase out the faith-based and self |
| 26 | improvement dormitory programs and move toward the goal of only |
| 27 | implementing faith- and character-based institutions. |
| 28 | (3)(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that the |
| 29 | department of Corrections and the private vendors operating |
| 30 | private correctional facilities shall continuously: |
| 31 | (a) Measure recidivism rates for inmates who have |
| 32 | participated in faith- and character-based religious programs.; |
| 33 | (b) Increase the number of volunteers who minister to |
| 34 | inmates from various faith-based and secular institutions in the |
| 35 | community.; |
| 36 | (c) Develop community linkages with secular institutions |
| 37 | as well as churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith-based |
| 38 | institutions to assist inmates in their release back into the |
| 39 | community.; and |
| 40 | (d) Fund through the use of annual appropriations, in |
| 41 | department facilities, and through inmate welfare trust funds |
| 42 | pursuant to s. 945.215, in private facilities, an adequate |
| 43 | number of chaplains and support staff to operate faith-based |
| 44 | programs in correctional institutions. |
| 45 | (4)(a)(3) The department must have at least six new |
| 46 | programs fully operational. These six programs shall be similar |
| 47 | to and in addition to the current faith-based pilot program. The |
| 48 | six new programs shall be a joint effort with the department and |
| 49 | faith-based service groups within the community. The department |
| 50 | shall ensure that an inmate's faith orientation, or lack |
| 51 | thereof, will not be considered in determining admission to a |
| 52 | faith- and character-based faith-based program and that the |
| 53 | program does not attempt to convert an inmate toward a |
| 54 | particular faith or religious preference. |
| 55 | (b) The programs shall operate 24 hours a day within the |
| 56 | existing correctional facilities and. The programs must |
| 57 | emphasize the importance of personal responsibility, meaningful |
| 58 | work, education, substance abuse treatment, and peer support. |
| 59 | (c) Participation in a the faith-based dormitory program |
| 60 | shall be voluntary. However, at least 80 percent of the inmates |
| 61 | participating in this program must be within 36 months of |
| 62 | release. Assignment to a program these programs shall be based |
| 63 | on evaluation and the length of time the inmate is projected to |
| 64 | be assigned to that particular institution. In evaluating an |
| 65 | inmate for this program, priority shall be given to inmates who |
| 66 | have shown an indication for substance abuse. A right to |
| 67 | substance abuse program services is not stated, intended, or |
| 68 | otherwise implied by this subsection. The department may not |
| 69 | remove an inmate once assigned to a the program except for the |
| 70 | purposes of population management, for inmate conduct that may |
| 71 | subject the inmate to disciplinary confinement or loss of gain- |
| 72 | time, for physical or mental health concerns, or for security or |
| 73 | safety concerns. To support the programming component, the |
| 74 | department shall assign a chaplain and a full-time clerical |
| 75 | support person dedicated to each dormitory to implement and |
| 76 | monitor the program and to strengthen volunteer participation |
| 77 | and support. |
| 78 | (4) The Department of Corrections shall assign chaplains |
| 79 | to community correctional centers authorized pursuant to s. |
| 80 | 945.091(1)(b). These chaplains shall strengthen volunteer |
| 81 | participation by recruiting volunteers in the community to |
| 82 | assist inmates in transition, and, if requested by the inmate, |
| 83 | placement in a mentoring program or at a contracted substance |
| 84 | abuse transition housing program. When placing an inmate in a |
| 85 | contracted program, the chaplain shall work with the |
| 86 | institutional transition assistance specialist in an effort to |
| 87 | successfully place the released inmate. |
| 88 | (5) The department shall ensure that any faith component |
| 89 | of any program authorized in this chapter is offered on a |
| 90 | voluntary basis and, an offender's faith orientation, or lack |
| 91 | thereof, will not be considered in determining admission to such |
| 92 | a faith-based program and that the program does not attempt to |
| 93 | convert an offender toward a particular faith or religious |
| 94 | preference. |
| 95 | (6) The department shall ensure that state funds are not |
| 96 | expended for the purpose of furthering religious indoctrination, |
| 97 | but rather, that state funds are expended for purposes of |
| 98 | furthering the secular goals of criminal rehabilitation, the |
| 99 | successful reintegration of offenders into the community, and |
| 100 | the reduction of recidivism. |
| 101 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |
