FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

Former Florida Department of Corrections Officer Terrance Reynolds, 31, was sentenced yesterday to 33 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Reynolds was convicted following a fourteen-day trial for conspiring to assault youthful offender inmates at the South Florida Reception Center, a prison located in Doral, Florida. Inmates may be classified as youthful offenders by a court or the Department of Corrections, and are generally twenty-four years old or younger. Butler previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the inmates’ civil rights. I commend the professionalism and hard work of the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General and their close cooperation with FBI for this investigation.”This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force and the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General.

The Florida Department of Corrections announced Saturday that a correctional officer trainee had died after she was injured in an apparent accident during firearms training Thursday.

Despite pushback earlier this year for a plan to shutter some state prisons in Florida’s rural regions where the communities rely on their economic impact, the Florida Department of Corrections is moving forward with “strategically consolidating” several Northeast Florida prisons.

Looking to curb contraband coming into Florida prisons, a proposed a new rule that would digitize all incoming “routine mail” for inmates, affecting things like personal letters, celebratory cards and photos.

The Nassau County jail is dealing with a spike in coronavirus cases impacting about a fifth of its inmate population, authorities said. According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, 46 male inmates — or about 21% of the 212 inmates in custody there — have been placed in quarantine after testing positive for the virus. The surge in cases at the Nassau County jail comes as Florida’s jails and prisons continue to grapple with the virus. While most inmates and staff have been cleared after testing positive, 208 inmates have died. Last month, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that three inmates at the Duval County jail have died as a result of complications from COVID-19.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than 200 Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started early last year, according to information released Wednesday by the state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Health. Also, six prison staff members have died of COVID-19, up one from last week. The Reception and Medical Center in Union County has been linked to 44 inmate deaths, while the South Florida Reception Center in Miami-Dade County has been linked to 24, according to a breakdown on the Florida Department of Health website. Union Correctional Institution has had 15 inmate deaths, while Columbia Correctional Institution and Dade Correctional Institution have each had 10. In all, 17,614 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the Florida Department of Corrections website.

OCALA, Fla. – A Florida women’s prison has likely violated inmates’ constitutional rights by failing to protect them from sexual abuse by staff, federal investigators announced Tuesday. The Justice Department provided the prison with written notice and suggested minimum remedial measures that include installing additional video surveillance and adopting new policies to protect inmates, officials said. “Prison officials have a constitutional duty to protect prisoners from harm, including sexual abuse by staff,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband said in a statement. The investigation found that sexual abuse by staff was frequent at Lowell and that the women remain at substantial risk, officials said. Prisoners are discouraged from reporting sexual abuse, and investigations of sexual abuse allegations are inadequate, investigators said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Pointing to a backlog of criminal cases during the coronavirus pandemic, state analysts say the number of inmates in Florida prisons has dropped -- but is expected to snap back to more-normal levels in the coming years. The number of inmates is forecast to be at 82,116 in June, the end of the state’s fiscal year. In June 2020 -- after the pandemic started -- the system had 87,736 inmates, according to the report issued by a panel known as the Criminal Justice Estimating Conference. That also could play a part in future population numbers in the state prison system. The analysts wrote that “an unknown number of future inmates will earn atypically low jail credits prior to sentencing and transfer to the state system.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Another three state prison inmates died of COVID-19 during the past week, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 187, according to numbers released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Corrections. In all, 16,999 state inmates and 3,647 corrections workers have tested positive for the infectious disease during the pandemic. Two prisons -- Columbia Correctional Institution and Lowell Correctional Institution -- have had more than 1,000 inmate cases. Seven prisons also have totaled more than 100 worker cases.

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.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 10 Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 180, according to information released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Also, two workers at the Reception and Medical Center have died of the virus. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 21; Union Correctional Institution, with 13; Columbia Correctional Institution, with 10; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; Okeechobee Correctional Institution, with six; South Bay Correctional Facility, with six; and Suwannee Correctional Institution, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,631 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to numbers posted by the Department of Corrections. Also, 3,508 corrections workers have tested positive and four have died.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of Florida prison inmates who have died of COVID-19 has hit 170, as the state added nine deaths in a week, according to the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Three of the additional deaths were at the Reception and Medical Center in Union County, bringing the total for that facility to 34, Department of Health numbers show. Also, two workers at the Reception and Medical Center have died of the virus. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 20; Union Correctional Institution, with 13; Columbia Correctional Institution, with 10; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; Okeechobee Correctional Institution, with six; South Bay Correctional Facility, with six; and Suwannee Correctional Institution, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,624 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to numbers posted Thursday by the state Department of Corrections.

The mother of a Florida corrections officer who died after contracting COVID-19 is speaking out, describing what she calls a lack of preparedness at the state facility where he worked. Even after his diagnosis, she said, his supervisors told him to downplay the illness so that he could continue working at the state-run corrections facility. According to figures provided by the Department of Corrections, 131 staffers and 316 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Lake Butler facility since the pandemic began. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections said the state’s prisons strictly follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that aim to limit the spread of the contagious illness. In response to questions from News4Jax, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Glady issued this statement Monday:“The department is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Correctional Officer Londell Woodbury.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With much of the increase linked to two facilities in Union County, an additional 13 state prison inmates have died of COVID-19, according to information released by the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Six of the additional deaths were linked to the Reception and Medical Center in Union County, bringing the total for the facility to 29. Also, three were linked to Union Correctional Institution, bringing its total to 10, according to weekly information posted online by the Department of Health. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 20; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Columbia Correctional Institution, with nine; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; and the South Bay Correctional Facility, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,483 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to the Department of Corrections.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a lengthy message Tuesday to inmates and offenders, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch called a reduction in COVID-19 cases “encouraging” -- but also acknowledged that the pandemic remains a threat. No, quite the opposite,” Inch wrote. “I am optimistic that we can all show the discipline and patience necessary to fight and ride out this pandemic, the worst pandemic in 100 years,” Inch wrote. “We must follow our established pandemic control procedures and new modified visitation and volunteer procedures. On balance, you have cooperated very well with our joint efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Seven additional Florida prison inmates died during the past week of COVID-19, bringing the total to 141 since the start of the pandemic, according to state reports. The 141 deaths were the reported total as of Wednesday and were up from 134 a week earlier. The Reception and Medical Center in Union County has had 23 inmate deaths, including one during the past week, according to numbers posted on the Florida Department of Health website. Other prisons that have been linked to the most inmate deaths are the South Florida Reception Center, with 19; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Columbia Correctional Institution, with nine; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Union Correctional Institution, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; and South Bay Correctional Facility, with six.

The Florida Department of Corrections is investigating the in-custody death of a 48-year-old Palatka man serving life in prison for a pair of 2016 murders. Jerry Keene Jr. was found dead Sept. 26 at Wakulla Correctional Institution in Crawfordsville, according to the Department of Corrections. “The safe and secure operation of Florida’s correctional institutions is the Department of Corrections' top priority,” the agency said Wednesday in an emailed statement. The 48-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Thomas Lombardo, who was killed during an argument in January 2016. While in custody on charges in that case, Keene beat his cellmate Austin Steybe, a 20-year-old man awaiting trial in the murder of his own grandmother.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Another state prison inmate’s death has been linked to COVID-19, bringing the total number to 132 since the pandemic began, according to information released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Corrections. Also, positive tests among inmates and corrections staff members continued to climb. An additional 82 inmate cases were reported Tuesday, bringing the overall total to 16,349. As of noon Tuesday, 136 inmate COVID-19 tests were pending, with the largest number, 35, at Graceville Correctional Facility in Northwest Florida. Also, an additional 25 corrections workers had tested positive, bringing the total to 3,147, according to the numbers released Tuesday by the department.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 30 state prison inmates and 16 corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the overall total to 19,389 since the pandemic started, according to state numbers released Monday. As of a noon Monday count, 16,267 inmates had tested positive, up from 16,237 on Friday. Meanwhile, 3,122 corrections workers had tested positive, up from 3,106 on Friday, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. The number of inmate deaths related to the virus remained at 131. Tests were pending Monday for 148 inmates, with 50 of them at Blackwater Correctional Facility in Northwest Florida.

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. – 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. – An additional 40 state prison inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases since March to 15,852, according to information released Monday by the Florida Department of Corrections. The number of inmates who have died from the virus remained at 117. Meanwhile, the department said 2,867 corrections workers had tested positive since the pandemic began. Six prisons have had more than 100 workers test positive. Those prisons are Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center, Suwannee Correctional Institution and Wakulla Correctional Institution.

“Starting Oct. 2, we will be resuming visitation at institutions where it is safe and appropriate to do so,” Inch said. Numerous safety measures will be in place, and interactions with your loved ones will be modified. I am confident we can move forward safely with a careful approach.”The state stopped visitation in March. As of Friday, 15,812 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, and 117 had died. Also, 2,836 workers in the corrections system had tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The COVID-19 inmate death toll in Florida’s prison system has reached 117, with three prisons having at least 10 deaths, according to new state numbers. The 117 inmate deaths were up from 114 in a Wednesday count, the Florida Department of Corrections reported Thursday. Also, the Florida Department of Health has released numbers showing 17 deaths of inmates at South Florida Reception Center, 10 deaths of inmates at Dade Correctional Institution and 10 deaths of inmates at the Reception and Medical Center. Other prisons with large numbers of inmate deaths included Columbia Correctional Institution, with eight; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Suwannee Correctional Institution, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; and South Bay Correctional Facility, with six. In all, 15,744 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Department of Corrections.

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.

Other institutions have reported hundreds of prisoner coronavirus cases, and the total number of inmates who have tested positive statewide exceeds 15,600. At least 16 South Florida Reception Center inmates have died of COVID-19, the Florida Department of Health reported earlier this week. Its stressing them out, Jim Baiardi, who leads the state corrections chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, told The News Service of Florida on Friday. Baiardi predicted that the virus will have a dire impact on the already short-staffed state corrections agency when the pandemic subsides. According to the federal Bureau of Prisons website, six inmates at federal prisons in Florida have died of complications related to COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Two more Florida inmates have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the coronavirus death toll among prisoners to 88, according to a report released by state corrections officials on Wednesday. The latest report showed that an additional 44 inmates and 30 corrections workers tested positive for the highly contagious coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, since Tuesday. As of mid-Wednesday, 15,445 inmates and 2,496 corrections workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic earlier this year. Data released Wednesday shows 227 workers were tested over the past week, with 156 of the workers testing positive for COVID-19. Five prisons Dade Correctional Institution, Wakulla Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center and Everglades Correctional Institution each have at least 100 workers who have tested positive for the virus.

Since Monday, an additional 35 inmates and 42 workers have tested positive for the virus. As the virus continues to spread throughout the state prison system, the number of inmates who have tested positive for the highly contagious virus has skyrocketed. Lowell Correctional Institution, a womens prison in Ocala, reached 1,000 cases on Tuesday. Columbia Correctional Institution, a prison in Lake City with 1,338 inmate cases, is the only other prison in the state with more than 1,000 inmate cases. For example, Mayo Annex has 949 cases, Suwannee Correctional Institution has 811 cases, and Century Correctional Institution has 766 cases.

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. A third Florida correctional officer has died from complications of COVID-19, the Florida Department of Corrections confirmed on Wednesday, nine days after the officer died. Johnnie Brown, a correctional officer who was assigned to the Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler, began his career with the Florida Department of Corrections in 2006. Officer Browns loss will be felt by many, his character and contributions as a correctional officer to the Florida Department of Corrections will be remembered by all who worked alongside him each day, Corrections Secretary Mark Inch said in a statement Wednesday. As of midday Wednesday, 15,170 prisoners and 2,340 corrections workers had tested positive for the virus, and 77 inmates had died. Corrections officials said Wednesday that 1,468 corrections workers who had tested positive for the virus have been cleared to return to work.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. As the numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections among inmates and workers continue to increase, state corrections officials on Tuesday extended a ban on prison visitations through Sept. 14. The department first imposed the visitation ban in March to try to prevent the coronavirus from spreading throughout the state prison system, which houses roughly 87,000 inmates. As of mid-Tuesday, 15,049 inmates and 2,306 corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Corrections officials reported Tuesday that 75 prisoners have died from complications of COVID-19. Also on Tuesday, corrections officials reduced the number of prisoner deaths by one, saying they inaccurately attributed an inmate death to COVID-19 last week.

SANDERSON, Fla. Inmates and their families are speaking out about a COVID-19 outbreak at Baker Correctional Institution, saying safety protocols are not being followed. As of Wednesday, 561 inmates and 25 staff members at the facility in Sanderson had tested positive for the coronavirus, with 294 pending inmate tests, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. In comparison, a week ago, 20 inmates and 17 staff members had tested positive. Ive known him since I was 19 years old.But until hes released, Khachaturova worries every day for his safety after hundreds of inmates, including her husband, have tested positive for COVID-19. One inmate wrote News4Jax hes an insulin-dependent diabetic who has tested positive for COVID-19Im in a dorm with 75 inmates in total.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Florida lawmakers say steps need to be taken to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in state prisons. For months, state lawmakers say theyve been calling on Gov. Keith Harris with the Florida Justice League, a group advocating for criminal defense, says the group is currently processing a rule that the group says the DOC is not using. Harris says this rule is a consistent pattern to help thin out prison populations and is more effective than going through court hearings. The Florida Justice League is encouraging legislators to ask the DOC to engage prisons in using this rule.

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.

SANDERSON, Fla. You might see the headline that Baker County set a record with 102 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Whats behind this big surge in a small county is an outbreak within Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, there were 266 cases among inmates at Baker Correctional as of Friday -- 42% the 630 total number of cases the state Health Department data shows for the county. Baker Correctional is now providing medical services and meals to inmates within their cells. According to the Department of Corrections, 11,000 inmates have been diagnosed and 63 inmates have died from COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. With a major increase in infections reported Friday, nearly 11,000 state prison inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 63 have died, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. An additional 1,154 inmates had tested positive in numbers released Friday, bringing the overall total to 10,975. Also, the number of inmates who had died from the virus increased from 60 on Thursday to 63 on Friday. Prisons hit hardest by the virus are Columbia Correctional Institution, which has had 1,317 inmate cases; Lowell Correctional Institution, which has had 909; Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, which has had 793; Graceville Correctional Facility, which has had 656; and Taylor Correctional Institution, which has had 561, according to the department. Also, 1,946 corrections workers had tested positive as of mid-day Friday, up from 1,911 on Thursday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Another 361 state prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19, with the inmate death toll reaching 60, according to information released Thursday by the Florida Department of Corrections. As of midday Thursday, 9,821 inmates had tested positive, up from 9,460 on Wednesday. Five prisons have had more than 500 inmate cases: Columbia Correctional Institution, Graceville Correctional Facility, Lowell Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and Taylor Correctional Institution. Of those facilities, Taylor Correctional had the largest increase Thursday, going from 453 cases to 501 cases. Also Thursday, the department reported that 1,911 corrections workers have tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida prison inmates who have died from COVID-19 increased to 59 on Wednesday, while corrections officials said they have taken additional steps to deal with outbreaks at two facilities. Meanwhile, the number of inmates who have tested positive statewide increased to 9,460 on Wednesday, up from 9,180 a day earlier, according to the Florida Department of Correction. The number of infected corrections workers increased to 1,866 on Wednesday, up from 1,810 on Tuesday. That came a day after the department made a similar announcement about addressing an outbreak at Florida Womens Reception Center, a facility in Ocala that totaled 472 inmate cases and 31 worker cases on Wednesday. Those prisons include Columbia Correctional Institution, with 1,316 inmate cases; Lowell Correctional Institution, with 853 inmate cases; Graceville Correctional Facility, with 656 inmate cases; and Taylor Correctional Institution, with 453 inmate cases, according to the department.

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.

As of mid-day Friday, 8,126 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. For example, Columbia Correctional Institution near Lake City on Friday reported 1,300 inmate cases, which is roughly 60% of the facilitys prison population. Other correctional facilities that have experienced significant COVID-19 outbreaks among inmates include Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, with 740 cases; Lowell Correctional Institution, with 744 cases; and Graceville Correctional Facility, with 655 cases. As the virus continues to spread in state prisons, 1,675 of the Florida Department of Corrections roughly 24,000 employees have also tested positive. Two prisons -- South Florida Reception Center and Dade Correctional Institution -- each have more than 100 workers who tested positive for COVID-19, according to data reported by the Department of Corrections on Friday.

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. A total of 1,299 inmates at Columbia Correctional Institute have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday, according to data from the Florida Department of Corrections, and dozens of staff members have tested positive as well. Its the highest number of reported cases among inmates at a Florida prison. There are a total of 2,200 inmates at the facility, meaning roughly 58% of them have tested positive. Hes just trying his best because the only PPE gear they are offering is a mask.Compared to last Thursday, 973 inmates tested positive along with 43 staff members. Apart from the 1,299 inmates that have tested positive as of Thursday, 69 staff members have as well.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday said a dozen inmates died from complications of COVID-19 at eight prisons within the past week. Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Lowell Correctional Institution and South Florida Reception Center each had two inmates die after testing positive for the disease. Columbia Correctional Institution, Florida Womens Reception Center, Graceville Correctional Institution and Wakulla Correctional Institution each had an inmate death. Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and Lowell Correctional Institution saw their caseloads increase by more than 100 overnight. Santa Rosa had 700 inmate cases and Lowell had 629 inmate cases as of Wednesday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of state prison inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 continued to soar Tuesday, with the total reaching 6,946, according to numbers released by the Florida Department of Corrections. The total was an increase from 6,217 inmates who had tested positive Monday. The prison with the most cases was Columbia Correctional Institution, where 1,216 inmates had tested positive. Meanwhile, 608 inmates had tested positive at Graceville Correctional Facility, 524 had tested positive at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and 444 had tested positive at Lowell Correctional Institution, according to the department. The number of infected correctional workers also increased from 1,417 on Monday to 1,486 on Tuesday.

Hundreds of new cases have popped up at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, Franklin Correctional Institution and Graceville Correctional Facility in recent days. Combined, the three prisons had 1,046 inmate cases on Monday. By comparison, the three prisons had 152 inmate cases on Thursday. In addition to the increases in new cases, corrections officials also reported Monday that nine additional inmates have died from complications of COVID-19. The new deaths bring the total inmate death toll to 46, including three at Columbia Correctional Institution.

As of Wednesday, 5,361 state inmates and corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19, a deadly respiratory disease that has shown itself to be efficient at moving rapidly through prisons and jails. The surge of cases in Floridas prison system has come as the state has morphed into a global hotspot for the virus. As more inmates and workers test positive, prisoners and criminal-justice reform advocates are pleading with Republican Gov. William Forrester, a Bay Correctional Facility inmate with a single lung, tested positive for COVID-19 after the Department of Corrections denied his request to be furloughed to home confinement. He is one of 240 inmates who have tested positive at the Panhandle facility, which is operated by The Geo Group, a private contractor.

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.

On Sunday, 30 inmates at Columbia Correctional Institution had tested positive for the deadly respiratory disease, according to a Florida Department of Corrections report. By Saturday, corrections and health officials had tested 735 inmates at Columbia, with 87 percent of test results pending. The prisons include Homestead Correctional Institution, with 302 cases; South Bay Correctional Facility, with 225 cases; Liberty Correctional Institution, with 215 cases, and Hamilton Correctional Institution, with 204 cases. In response to infection surges among workers, corrections officials have launched emergency plans at two prisons -- Dade Correctional Institution and Jefferson Correctional Institution -- to address significant staffing shortages due to COVID-19. Since the emergency plans went into effect, a few more workers have tested positive at Dade and Jefferson.

Former Florida Department of Corrections officer, Terrance Reynolds, 30, was convicted Friday following a 14-day trial for conspiring to assault youthful offender inmates, announced the Department of Justice. The jury acquitted Reynolds of two counts of depriving the youthful offender inmates of their civil rights. Inmates may be classified as youthful offenders by a court or the Department of Corrections, and are generally 24 years old or younger. Former corrections officer Terrance Reynolds was found guilty of conspiring to assault youthful offender inmates. This case was being investigated by the FBIs Miami Area Corruption Task Force and the Florida Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General.