Florida has a recidivism problem.
Despite a drop in crime of more than 50% between 2000 and 2019, the state’s incarceration rate has remained stable.
That’s because more than 60% of people released from prison in the Sunshine State will be arrested again within three years, a 2022 Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) report found.
While reducing crime is a prime purpose of incarceration, preventing future wrongdoing that adds to the 80,000-plus prisoners behind bars in Florida today should be a major goal as well, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Project.