DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

ACLU of Alaska asked a judge to overturn a prison policy on involuntary medication. A lawsuit was filed against state corrections on behalf of a man who was forcibly injected with medication.

Alaska's ACLU is suing the corrections agency on behalf of four plaintiffs who claim they were denied access to transitional programs after their release date was moved up.

Washington State’s Department of Corrections is looking for a formerly incarcerated individual to work on the agency's executive leadership team, which pays a six-figure salary.

Four tapes mysteriously donated to a library reveal uncertainty behind the scenes of the death chamber — and indicate the prison neglected to record evidence during an execution gone wrong.

Axel Cox, 24, of Gulfport, Miss., who burned a cross in his front yard, was charged with violating the Fair Housing Act over the December 2020 incident.

A South Carolina abandoned hospital wing has been transformed into a health facility for inmates. The $3.3 million project is expected to start accepting patients before the end of 2022.

This is at least the second time in recent years that a human skull has been discovered along the state's interstate.

Brianna Williams, who in September was sentenced to life in prison in the 2019 death of her 5-year-old daughter, Taylor, was transferred to the Department of Corrections on Monday, records show.

In 2020, the Department of Justice sued the state for running prisons that were “riddled” with violence. Since then, things have got worse.

Thousands of inmates in Alabama's overcrowded prison system are receiving only two meals a day during a prisoner work stoppage that was in its fourth day Thursday, and the agency said weekend visitation also was being canceled. While inmates and activists have accused the Department of Corrections of using pressure tactics in an attempt to end the demonstration, officials said the reduced rations and the lack of visits were the result of a prisoner labor shortage. Inmates provide much of the labor force inside prisons, the department said, so the lockups eliminated one of the three meals that normally are served to compensate for the lack of workers.

New York City's Department of Corrections, which consists of the notoriously dangerous Rikers Island complex, is "exploring" alternative ways to deliver mail to its inmates.

Pay hikes, shorter shifts and shuttering facilities are some of the strategies Florida has employed to try to rehabilitate a prison system that leaders have said is in crisis.

Families of Florida inmates tell News4JAX they feel like they may be the ones being punished if state officials approve a Department of Corrections proposal. It would limit visitation hours -- among other things.

Twin lawsuits in D.C. area jails show just how fleeting the direct impact of civil litigation can be for incarcerated people.

The father and son convicted of murder in 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery’s fatal shooting were sentenced Monday to life in prison for committing a federal hate crime.

A Georgia man who was recently sentenced to death in the killings of two corrections officers during an escape attempt five years ago has died in prison of an apparent suicide, corrections officials said. Prison guards found Ricky Dubose unresponsive in his cell at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson around 4:45 p.m. Sunday, according to a Department of Corrections news release. The coroner at the prison declared Dubose dead at 5:56 p.m.

California authorities finally released the May 29 mugshot of Paul Pelosi, who was accused of driving under the influence in the middle of the night.

A Department of Corrections vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run crash Wednesday morning outside Union Correctional Institution, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The law forces inmates to choose between lethal injection, electric chair or firing squad, but if the drugs aren’t available for an injection, the inmate must pick one of the two other options.

A Florida sheriff says 41 people are charged with dozens of crimes in an effort to take down the leadership of a group called the Sex Money Murder gang.

Two inmates at New Jersey’s only women’s prison are pregnant after consensual sex with a transgender inmate, reports say.

Four other people, including two inmates at the facility, have also been charged for their alleged roles in the operation.

A correctional officer was hurt in a crash involving another correctional officer Monday at the Florida Department of Corrections Reception and Medical Center in Union County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

South Carolina's governor signed a law last year forcing death row inmates to choose the manner of their execution: either by firing squad or electric chair if lethal injection is not possible.

A pair of former Tulane University students disappointed by recycling options in New Orleans have turned massive amounts of glass bottles into sand to fill sandbags for New Orleans' hurricane season.

A public defender has signed a notice of appeal in the first-degree murder conviction of Kimberly Kessler, who was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of 34-year-old Joleen Cummings.

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right militia group the Oath Keepers, is expected to ask for a release from jail tomorrow. He’s charged with seditious conspiracy, the most serious charge so far stemming from the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane joined CBS News’ Tanya Rivero and Jericka Duncan with his latest reporting.

Justin M. Toye, 36, was arrested Sunday after an investigation by the Office of Internal Affairs and the Rhode Island State Police.

A 40-year-old Putnam County man was arrested in Flagler County this week on a capital sexual battery warrant.

The inmates no longer needed the injunctions because the state Supreme Court issued stays of execution.

American filmmaker Laura Poitras has once again turned her camera on the watchmen in an exhibition opening Friday in Berlin

The state Supreme Court issued its decision just two days before death row inmate Brad Sigmon was scheduled to die.

The oak chair purchased by the state nearly 100 years ago was to be used to execute an inmate Friday. It’s the same chair that killed a 14-year-old boy in 1944, along with 247 others.

The state Supreme Court issued its order two days before Brad Sigmon was scheduled to be put to death.

A judge has been asked to allow drugs including the opioid fentanyl, the sedative ketamine and potassium chloride to stop the heart of convicted mass killer Zane Michael Floyd.

Inmates at an Oklahoma prison began receiving special computer tablets this week, as part of a Department of Corrections plan to provide secure tablets to everyone incarcerated in state prisons. The devices, specially designed by prisons communications company Securus Technologies, will include free content such as prison policies, access to a law library, some books and educational and self-help materials. Inmates can also pay to receive music, movies, games and television programs, as well as to send and receive messages, including video messages, to and from their families.

Under the current law, inmates must choose whether to be put death by electric chair or firing squad.

Guards at a California prison reportedly didn’t notice that an inmate had reportedly tortured and decapitated his cellmate in 2019, having reported that both men were alive after making their overnight rounds.

Officials across Florida have slowly begun vaccinating people incarcerated inside local jails since April.

The inmates questioned the legality of the new law, which would require them to choose between execution by electric chair or firing squad.

South Carolina will need to create a new policy for how an execution by firing squad would be carried out, a Department of Corrections spokesperson said.

The judge found that Chauvin abused a position of trust, treated George Floyd with "particular cruelty," committed the crime as part of a group, and the offense occurred in front of children.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee filed a lawsuit Friday demanding state corrections officials relax COVID-19 protocols and allow ministers to visit inmates.

Lawyer for Ryan Samsel says he was "viciously and savagely" beaten while zip-tied but the head of the district's jail system says it didn't happen.

After an outbreak that infected hundreds and the deaths of three inmates, more than two dozen people incarcerated at the Jacksonville Pre-Trial Detention Facility have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Just a day earlier, an independent panel that oversees the study had accused AstraZeneca of cherry-picking data to tout the protection offered by its vaccine. The panel, in a harsh letter to the company and to U.S. health leaders, said the company had left out some COVID-19 cases that occurred in the study, a move that could erode trust in the science.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of Florida prison inmates who have died of COVID-19 has inched up to 205 as case numbers in the corrections system continue to increase, according to totals posted online Wednesday. The inmate death total was up from 204 reported last week. The number of reported deaths of prison staff members remained at six. As of Wednesday, 17,734 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic started, up from 17,614 a week earlier, according to Department of Corrections numbers. Meanwhile, 4,955 corrections workers had tested positive, an increase of two from last week.

Department of Corrections spokesman John Beard said inmates who have tested positive have been medically isolated and those exposed have been quarantined “as space allows.” Transfers to and from the prison have been temporarily suspended.

Soon after White’s mistaken release, Heuerman said his department neglected to place a detainer on White with the Department of Corrections for his return to Champaign County once he completed a sentence for illegal gun possession. However, on Thursday, the sheriff said a further internal review of their processes showed the pending murder charge had been relayed to the Department of Corrections.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The death toll of Florida prison inmates from COVID-19 has reached 189, with two additional deaths listed Wednesday on the state Department of Corrections website. Since the start of the pandemic, 17,021 inmates and 3,845 corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19, department numbers show. As of Wednesday, 420 inmates were in medical isolation -- with 316 of those at Walton Correctional Institution in the Panhandle. Meanwhile, 93% of the corrections workers who tested positive have been cleared to return to their jobs. It was not immediately clear where the two additional inmate deaths occurred.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional four Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, while state officials said they have taken steps after a surge in coronavirus cases at a Panhandle prison. The Department of Corrections said Thursday on its website that the deaths of 184 inmates have been linked to COVID-19, up from 180 reported last week. Meanwhile, the department said Tuesday it has taken additional steps after more than 300 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at Walton Correctional Institution. As of Thursday morning, 318 inmates at the prison were reported to have tested positive and were in medical isolation. “The great majority of inmates at Walton CI who have tested positive presented mild or no symptoms of the virus when they were tested,” the news release said.

The numbers showed an additional 246 inmates had tested positive since a Friday count and that an additional 324 inmates tested positive during the past week, according to the department. In all, 16,944 inmates have tested positive. At least part of the recent increase came at Walton Correctional Institution, where 315 inmates were reported to have tested positive as of Monday. Department reports last week showed that hundreds of inmate test results were pending at the Northwest Florida prison. The department also reported Monday that 3,540 corrections workers have tested positive, an increase of eight from a Friday count.

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge cited safety concerns as he issued new conditions of release for an ex-Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd that would allow him to live in a neighboring state while he awaits trial. Floyd died after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after the handcuffed Black man pleaded for air before his death May 25. Chauvin was later charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Tim Walz mobilized National Guard troops and state law enforcement officers to help keep the peace. Under the new conditions, he “must establish residency somewhere in the State of Minnesota or a contiguous state as soon as possible" and report it to his supervising officer.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of Florida corrections workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 has topped 3,100, according to numbers released Friday by the state Department of Corrections. Another 16 worker cases were added Friday, bringing the overall total to 3,106. The number of reported worker cases increased by 133 during the past week. Seven prisons -- Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, the Reception and Medical Center, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, the South Florida Reception Center, Suwannee Correctional Institution and Wakulla Correctional Institution --- have had more than 100 worker cases since the COVID-19 pandemic started in the spring. Meanwhile, the number of inmates who have tested positive increased to 16,237 on Friday, up 30 from a Thursday count.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida has added a dozen inmate deaths from COVID-19 during the past week, with the total up to 131, according to numbers released Thursday by the state Department of Corrections. As of noon Thursday, 16,207 inmates had tested positive, an increase of 10 cases from a Wednesday count. The number of reported inmate deaths jumped from 127 on Wednesday to 131 on Thursday. As of Wednesday, 18 of the deaths involved prisoners at the Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler, while 17 involved prisoners at the South Florida Reception Center in Doral, according to the Florida Department of Health. Another 10 involved prisoners at Dade Correctional Institution in Florida City, while nine involved prisoners at Columbia Correctional Institution near Lake City.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 25 Florida corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 2,998 since the pandemic began in March, according to numbers released Monday by the state Department of Corrections. The increase came after the department reported Friday that 2,973 workers had been infected. Also, the number of inmates who have tested positive increased from 16,081 on Friday to 16,093 on Monday. The largest numbers of corrections workers who have tested positive have occurred at prisons in North Florida and Miami-Dade County. Those prisons are Dade Correctional Institution, with 167 worker cases; Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, with 166 cases; South Florida Reception Center, with 148 cases; Wakulla Correctional Institution, with 146 cases; Suwannee Correctional Institution, with 113 cases; and Everglades Correctional Institution, with 106 cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than 16,000 Florida prison inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 120 have died, according to numbers released Friday by the state Department of Corrections. An additional 85 inmates were reported to have tested positive, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 16,081. Also, an additional inmate death was reported Friday, bringing the total to 120. More than 500 inmates have tested positive at nine prisons -- Baker Correctional Institution, Century Correctional Institution, Columbia Correctional Institution, Graceville Correctional Facility, Lowell Correctional Institution, Mayo Annex, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, Suwannee Correctional Institution and Taylor Correctional Institution, department numbers show. Also Friday, the department reported that an additional 18 corrections workers had tested positive, bringing the total to 2,973.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida is nearing 16,000 COVID-19 cases among prison inmates and 3,000 cases among corrections workers. A report released Wednesday by the state Department of Corrections showed an additional 49 inmate cases, bringing the total since March to 15,983 cases. RELATED: See the Florida Department of Correcitons COVID-19 dashboardThe report also showed an additional 28 cases among corrections workers, bringing the total to 2,940. In addition, 117 inmates have died, a number that remained unchanged Wednesday. A Florida Department of Health report shows that 17 of the deaths have involved inmates at South Florida Reception Center, 12 have involved inmates at the Reception and Medical Center and 10 have involved inmates at Dade Correctional Institution.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Another four Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, bringing the inmate death toll to 111, according to numbers released Tuesday by the state Department of Corrections. The information, as is common, did not disclose when or where the inmates died. But a state tally Friday showed 107 inmate deaths. The highly contagious virus has raced through Floridas prison system, with 15,672 inmates and 2,718 corrections workers testing positive as of Tuesday. The prisons with the largest numbers of inmate cases since the pandemic started are Columbia Correctional Institution, with 1,338; Lowell Correctional Institution, with 1,003; Mayo Annex, with 954; Suwannee Correctional Institution, with 818; Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, with 808; and Century Correctional Institution, with 771.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Three Florida inmates died from complications of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the death toll among prisoners to 84, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Corrections. August has been the deadliest month in Floridas prison system since the start of the pandemic, with 33 inmates and three correctional officers dying of COVID-19. Corrections and health officials have offered testing to inmates and workers at 49 correctional facilities that have experienced outbreaks. As of Monday, four prisons Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center, Everglades Correctional Institution and Dade Correctional Institution each have had at least 100 workers who have tested positive for the virus. For example, Columbia Correctional Institution has had 1,338 inmate cases; Lowell Correctional Institution has had 993 cases; Mayo Annex has had 948 cases; and Santa Rosa Correctional Institution has had 806 cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Five more Florida inmates have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the death toll among prisoners to 70, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Corrections. The disease has killed 45 inmates since July 1, 20 of whom died in the last two weeks, according to corrections officials. Two corrections officers also have died this month from complications of COVID-19, according to corrections officials and the Florida Police Benevolent Association, a union that represents officers. The number of prisoners and corrections workers who have tested positive for the virus has also continued to grow. The department, which oversees roughly 87,700 inmates and approximately 24,000 employees, reported Tuesday that 12,988 prisoners and 2,078 corrections workers had tested positive for the virus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s prison system recorded more than 1,500 new COVID-19 cases and two inmate deaths over the weekend, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Corrections. Also, an additional 98 corrections workers tested positive for the deadly respiratory illness over the weekend. As the virus continues to rapidly spread in the corrections system, several prisons have seen their COVID-19 cases explode this month. Taylor Correctional Institution, which is in Perry, went from 25 inmate cases on Aug. 1 to 564 inmate cases on Monday. Meanwhile, the Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler went from a single case on Aug. 1 to 116 inmate cases on Monday.

As of midday Monday, 8,551 inmates and 1,769 corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, officials said. The number of corrections workers known to be infected with the virus increased by 94 cases since Friday. Inch and Dixon tested positive on July 30 and are self-isolating, corrections officials said in a news release Friday night. The agency, which houses approximately 87,700 prisoners, reported Monday that an additional 425 inmates tested positive for the virus since Friday. Dozens of new inmate cases were reported at several correctional facilities, including Lowell Correctional Institution, which has 813 inmate cases; Jefferson Correctional Institution, which has 173 cases; and Northwest Florida Reception Center, with 107 cases.

In total, the state has logged 3,687 inmate cases and 1,077 employee cases. Over the past four weeks, the number of COVID-19 cases in the corrections system has more than doubled to 4,764 cases. While several prisons are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, 17 facilities in various parts of the state have recorded at least 100 inmate cases. Columbia Correctional Institution, a prison in rural North Florida, has reported 455 inmate cases, while Homestead Correctional Institution in Miami-Dade County has totaled 302 inmate cases. Five prisons -- Bay Correctional Facility, Hamilton Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution, Polk Correctional Institution and South Bay Correctional Facility -- have logged at least 200 inmate cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida corrections workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 surpassed 1,000 on Friday, according to the state Department of Corrections. Over the past week, an additional 255 corrections workers -- which include probation officers, corrections officers, nurses, food service workers and administrative personnel -- have tested positive for the disease. As of mid-day Friday, 1,009 workers had tested positive. In response to workers getting sick, the department has launched emergency plans at two prisons -- Dade Correctional Institution and Jefferson Correctional Institution -- to address significant staffing shortages. Some prisons have also seen the number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 explode this week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida correctional workers who had tested positive for COVID-19 climbed to 754 on Friday, according to data released by the state Department of Corrections. The data showed an additional 132 correctional workers had tested positive for the disease since Monday. While workers at dozens of prisons have been diagnosed with COVID-19, a handful of prisons are experiencing a spike in cases among employees. In late June, the department reported 2,134 vacancies across the state. In addition to worker cases, the department on Friday reported that 2,497 inmates had tested positive for the virus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s prison system recorded 100 new COVID-19 cases and an inmate death on Tuesday, according to figures released by the state Department of Corrections. Tuesday’s report showed an additional 29 correctional workers and 71 inmates tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. In total, the state has logged 2,514 inmate cases of COVID-19 and 651 employee cases, officials confirmed Tuesday. An inmate death also was confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of inmate deaths to 26. As the virus continues to spread in prisons, officials have offered voluntary COVID-19 testing to all inmates and staff members at 13 prisons that have at least 100 inmate cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida prisoners who have tested positive for COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 on Tuesday, according to the state Department of Corrections. All but three of the states 2,027 total inmate cases are concentrated in 16 prisons located in various parts of the state. Four of the prisons -- Homestead Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution, Hamilton Correctional Institution and South Bay Correctional Facility -- have at least 200 inmate cases. The prisons offering facility-wide testing include Apalachee Correctional Institution, Avon Park Correctional Institution and Lancaster Correctional Institution. Twenty-four inmates have died of complications related to COVID-19, including three prisoners who died in the last week.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A total of 178 Duval County inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Saturday, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office said Sunday. Of those cases, 37 were reported in a span of 24 hours. According to the numbers released Sunday by the Sheriffs Office, 2,887 tests had been completed, bringing the percentage of positive cases to 6.16%. The Sheriffs Office said all inmates in the three Department of Corrections facilities have been tested or have refused a test, and all new inmates will be tested as they come in. The first coronavirus cases at the jail were reported June 21.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. As the number of COVID-19 cases in Florida skyrockets, Department of Corrections officials reported Friday that two more state inmates have died of complications from the novel coronavirus. Twenty-one inmates have died of COVID-19 complications at eight prisons in various parts of the state, according to the most up-to-date information released by the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday. Seven of the 23 inmates who died were located at Blackwater River Correctional Facility, while three Sumter Correctional Institution prisoners died. Of the states roughly 94,000 inmates, 1,860 have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, according to the latest report issued by the state. Florida health officials on Friday reported 3,552 COVID-19 cases at correctional facilities across the state.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. A total of 141 Duval County inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday, the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office announced Saturday. According to the numbers released Saturday by the Sheriffs Office, 2,668 tests completed had been completed, bringing the percentage of positive cases to 4.97%. The Sheriffs Office said all inmates in the three Department of Corrections facilities have been tested for COVID-19, and all new inmates will be tested as they come in. The Sheriffs Office noted inmates have the option to decline testing. The state Department of Corrections reported Friday that the total number of inmate deaths in Floridas prison system rose to 23.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office on Tuesday night issued a be on the lookout for a man they said escaped from a Department of Corrections facility on the Westside. Investigators said Steven Matthews-Bull, 31, escaped from a facility near the intersection of Beaver Street and Lane Avenue. Police described Matthews-Bull as 5-feet 7-inches tall and 150 pounds. He has multiple tattoos and was last wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and silver and black shoes. If seen, call 904-630-0500 or Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-866-845-TIPS.

But information on the Florida Department of Health website said the other 19 deaths involved inmates at eight prisons. Seven of the deaths involved inmates at Blackwater Correctional Facility, while Sumter Correctional Institution had three deaths, and Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution and Union Correctional Institution each had two. Liberty Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center and South Bay Correctional Facility each had one death. In all, 1,742 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the Department of Corrections. Also, 361 corrections workers had tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. An 18th Florida inmate has died from complications of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, the state Department of Corrections reported on Wednesday. The inmate, whose name was not disclosed by the department, is the third prisoner to die from COVID-19 in less than a week. The Department of Health reported that the 18 inmates have died while incarcerated at Sumter Correctional Institution, Union Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center, Liberty Correctional Institution, Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Blackwater River Correctional Facility and South Bay Correctional Facility. South Florida Reception Center, a prison in Doral with 31 inmate cases, is the latest facility to report an outbreak. It has recorded 26 new inmate cases and one inmate death in the past week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Three Florida inmates died over the weekend from complications of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, the state Department of Corrections reported on Monday. The identities of the three inmates and the prisons where they were housed were not immediately disclosed. The Florida Department of Health earlier reported that seven inmates had died at Blackwater River Correctional Facility, a prison operated by The Geo Group Inc. Three inmates had died at Sumter Correctional Institution, while one had died at Dade Correctional Institution and one had died at Union Correctional Institution. The number of prisoners who had tested positive for COVID-19 climbed to 1,529 as of Monday morning, corrections officials reported. Everglades Correctional Institution, a Miami prison with 30 inmate cases, was the latest prison to report an outbreak.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Central Florida prison employee has contracted the coronavirus, and three other staff members are self-isolating after coming into close contact with the infected worker, according to a statement issued Tuesday by the state Department of Corrections. The employee, who works at the Marion Correctional Institution Work Camp near Ocala, tested positive for the virus on Sunday. The three other staff members have been placed on leave and will be required to self-isolate after coming in close contact with the infected employee. The coronavirus has spread rapidly in Florida this month, with the Department of Health reporting 1,412 confirmed cases and 18 deaths of Florida residents as of Tuesday morning. A department website listed four cases in Marion County, where the prison employee tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Corrections is restricting new inmate intakes for the rest of the month as the state takes steps to curb the spread of coronavirus. Yet that decision has created a new potential problem: overcrowding in the state’s jails. The corrections department is placing transfers of inmates from local jails to state prisons on hold until March 30. “People are being forced to live in even more cramped, and therefore unsanitary, conditions than typically exist in the jails,” Saleh said in a statement. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, president of the Florida Sheriffs Association, said county sheriffs will work hand-in-hand with the corrections department in an effort to eliminate those concerns.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – When state lawmakers talk about Florida prisons, a trifecta of problems often comes up: staffing levels, health care costs and crumbling facilities. He said he fears that if longstanding prison issues are not addressed, it could ultimately result in a federal takeover of the prison system. In recent months, Inch has issued dire warnings to state lawmakers, saying years of budget cuts have contributed to anemic staffing levels, violence behind bars and inadequate treatment for inmates. The Senate president last week was also hesitant to endorse any major prison health-care changes. A new audit estimated the state could save $46 million a year if it moved away from a private contract for prison health-care services.

iStock/allanswartIn separate but parallel lawsuits, civil-rights and legal groups are challenging Florida's use of solitary confinement in prisons and juvenile detention centers -- but are facing pushback from state agencies. "Unfortunately, it is clear that plaintiffs' purpose in bringing this lawsuit is not to gain relief from some violation of constitutional rights," the Department of Juvenile Justice motion said. Data provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center shows the state placed more than 14,000 children in isolation while in the care of the juvenile justice department during the 2017-2018 fiscal year. Outside of court, the Department of Corrections has defended its use of confinement as a safety measure. Michelle Glady, a department spokeswoman, told The News Service of Florida in May that confinement is used for security reasons or to effectively manage prisons.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida's prison system, the third largest in the nation, has long faced issues with contraband drugs, yet the state agency that grapples with the problems does not track the number of inmates treated for overdoses. A synthetic cannabinoid, known as K2 or "twak," is one of the drugs that is most frequently confiscated by staff, Baiardi said. On the afternoon of Sept. 16, two inmates died at the Columbia Correctional Institution Annex from suspected drug overdoses, prison officials said. Perhaps that can be done by modernizing the data system with standardized digital forms, he said. "If you keep overworking these officers and you don't have a very good inmate-to-officer ratio, you're just asking for more problems."