Florida lawmakers are poised to allocate millions of dollars for state prison maintenance that’s been put off for decades, but it’s just a fraction of what consultants say is needed to fix the crumbling system.
Why it matters: If the Florida Department of Corrections doesn’t get a serious influx of cash, “the state will face increasing risks that jeopardize public safety,” according to a report by the auditing firm KPMG.
What they’re saying: “It may get a little better, but you’ll never get ahead,” former St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes, who championed criminal justice reform during his time in the Legislature, told Axios.
“There’s no larger strategy,” said Brandes, who now runs the Florida Policy Project research organization. “Unfortunately, I think something terrible is going to have to happen until there is a wake-up call.”
Read the full Axios article here.