Progress Report
August 2004

Report No. 04-59

Corrections Education and Rehabilitative
Programs Significantly Reduced
at a glance
Education and drug treatment programs help
reduce inmate recidivism and improve safety at
correctional facilities by reducing inmate idleness,
which is a contributing factor to violence and
institutional disturbances.
Due to state revenue shortfalls, funding for
education and rehabilitative programs has been
reduced in recent years, and the department has
eliminated many of its education, vocational, and
substance abuse programs. As a result, many
inmates identified as needing substance abuse
programs are released without receiving
treatment.
Over half of inmates who did
participate in programs did not complete them;
one major reason for this was the termination of
programs.
The Legislature has funded a 100-hour, transition
life skills course for all released inmates, which
can help reduce recidivism.
However, as
currently provided through video rather than by
classroom instruction, the course may not achieve
the same success in reducing crime.

Scope _________________
This progress report is one of a series of four
reports that informs the Legislature of actions
taken by the Department of Corrections in
response to recommendations in our 2000
Justification Review, as directed by state
law. 1, 2, 3

Background ____________

The Department of Corrections’ mission is to
protect the public in two ways:
by
incarcerating and supervising offenders and by
rehabilitating
offenders
through
work,
programs, and services. As of June 30, 2004,
Florida housed 81,974 inmates in 56 prisons
and 67 other facilities spread throughout the
state.
1

Section 11.51(6), F.S.

2

Review of the Department of Corrections, OPPAGA Report
No. 00-23, December 2000.

3

More Efficient Use of Probation Officers and Prioritization of
Victim Restitution Needed, OPPAGA Report No. 04-58.;
Corrections Programs Still Challenged by Inmate Idleness,
Prison Planning, and Fleet Maintenance, OPPAGA Report
No. 04-60; Inmate Health Care Consolidation Progressing;
Privatization Requires Agency Vigilance, OPPAGA Report
No. 04-61.

Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
an office of the Florida Legislature

 Progress Report
Given the social and economic costs of
incarceration, rehabilitation through education
and other programs that can reduce the
likelihood of repeat offending and improve
public safety is an important correctional goal.
To that end, the department provides academic
education, vocational instruction, library
services, substance abuse treatment, and
transition skills training.

In Fiscal Year 2004-05, the Legislature
appropriated over $2 billion to the Department
of Corrections; of this, $45.5 million, or 2%,
was directed to correctional education and
programs.

Current Status __________
Due to budget limitations, fewer programs
are offered

The majority of inmates lack basic educational
and employment skills. Nearly 80% test below
the ninth grade literacy level. Compounding
this problem, over 60% of inmates have a
history of substance abuse. Since most prison
inmates eventually will be released, programs
are beneficial to the process of preparing
inmates for their return to society.

Our 2000 review determined that a significant
number of inmates with identified educational
and treatment needs did not receive training or
treatment. 5 We reported that this affected not
only rehabilitation efforts and recidivism, but
also prison security. Inmate idleness is a
contributing factor to violence and institutional
disturbances.

A large body of national research has
demonstrated that offender participation in
such programs reduces recidivism.
The
department’s data confirms this positive effect
in Florida. Department data for the six-year
period of Fiscal Year 1995-96 through Fiscal
Year 2000-01 shows an over 14% reduction in
recommitment rates for inmates earning GED
diplomas or completing substance abuse
programs, and a 24% reduction in
recommitment for inmates who received
vocational certificates. 4 As it costs an average
of $17,567 to incarcerate each inmate each year,
reductions in recidivism produce substantial
cost avoidances. For example, the projected
reduction in recidivism for inmates who
earned a GED or vocational certificate while
previously incarcerated in Fiscal Year 2000-01
saved an estimated $3.2 million, as 182 fewer
inmates would have returned to custody.
4

Since that time, due to major state revenue
shortfalls, funding for correctional education
and program has been reduced by
approximately 30% and the department has
eliminated many education, vocational, and
substance abuse programs.
As shown in
Exhibit 1, substantially fewer correctional
facilities provide programs now than in 2000.
Due to staffing reductions, many of the
remaining academic classes are being taught by
community volunteers or by inmate assistants
and tutors supervised by a small number of
teaching staff. As reported in our 2003 review
of the Prison Rehabilitative Industries and
Diversified Enterprises (PRIDE) Program, the
number of prison jobs is also declining, and in
2002 only 2.7% of inmates worked in PRIDE
programs. 6

The recidivism rates were calculated for 24 months after release.

2

5

In Fiscal Year 1999-2000, approximately 65% of released inmates
left with scores below the ninth grade literacy level; 1,215
inmates did not participate in the academic programs they
needed prior to release; 3,986 inmates did not receive the
vocational training they needed prior to release; and 8,760
inmates did not receive the substance abuse treatment services
they needed prior to release.

6

PRIDE Benefits the State But Needs to Improve Transparency
in Operations, Report No. 03-68, December 2003.

 Progress Report
The department has implemented our
recommendation to flag inmates who are
nearing program completion. Classification
officers we interviewed said they try not to
interrupt inmates’ program participation by
transferring them unless there is an overriding
cause, and education staff also reported that
they now have more input about inmate
movement. However, despite this improved
intra-agency coordination, attrition rates are
still high for education programs. In Fiscal
Year 2002-03, 51% of inmates exited mandatory
literacy programs before completion, 88% did
not complete GED courses, and 59% exited
vocational courses before completing them.
The substance abuse program was more
successful, as 74% of inmates in such programs
completed them. The department reports that
program closures are the primary reason for
the low completion rates. Many education
programs had to close when positions were
eliminated due to budget reductions.
According to the department, it has lost 45% of
its education workforce and closed 29 entire
education programs since 2002. 8 As a result,
many inmates were unable to complete their
programs.

Exhibit 1
Fewer State Correctional Facilities Are Providing
Programs

Types of Program
Academic
Vocational
Substance Abuse

Number of Facilities with Programs
Fiscal Year
Fiscal Year
2000-01
2003-04
52
27
44
32
86
21

Source: Department of Corrections.

Demand for correctional education and
rehabilitation classes has continued to increase,
as prison admissions have grown by
approximately 10,000 inmates since 2000.
Substance abuse programs are particularly in
demand. On June 30, 2004, over half (62%, or
51,121) of the 81,974 inmates in prison had
been identified as needing substance abuse
treatment.
During Fiscal Year 2003-04, a
relatively small proportion of these inmates
(8,067) participated in various substance abuse
programs, and 14,350 inmates were released
from prison in Fiscal Year 2003-04 who were
identified as needing substance abuse
treatment but were unable to obtain it during
their incarceration. 7

Many inmates did not complete programs

100-hour transition course initiated for all
released inmates; viability questioned

In our 2000 report we noted that
approximately half the number of inmates who
are placed in correctional education and
rehabilitation programs do not successfully
complete the courses because they are
transferred or released before graduating. We
recommended that the department modify its
databases to flag inmates scheduled for transfer
who are in programs nearing completion to
help avoid program disruptions, and allow
program staff to participate in decisions to
transfer inmates who are in programs.

Over the past three years, the department has
increased participation in the inmate transition
course. This course teaches basic life skills to
inmates transitioning from prison back to
society as they are released. Our 2000 report
noted that inmates participating in the 100hour transition course had a lower recidivism
rate, which resulted in cost avoidance for the
state. We recommended that the Legislature
fund the 100-hour transition skills course for all
inmates to be released, which would increase
the cost avoidance.

7

8

The department also conducted 30,146 substance abuse
screening assessments at the reception centers in Fiscal Year
2003-04.

3

During the same time period it opened three new academic
programs at Taylor Annex, Lawtey, and Lowell correctional
institutions.

 Progress Report
The 2002 Legislature implemented our
recommendation by expanding the 100-hour
transition and life skill program to include all
inmates prior to their release. The course is
now offered at all institutions. The department
reports that approximately 87% of inmates
released in Fiscal Year 2002-03 completed the
100-hour course. 9

substance abuse programs through a rule
revision and was planning to make
participation
in
education
programs
mandatory as well. Without clear statutory
authority, such a policy could have increased
inmate grievances. We recommended that the
Legislature revise Ch. 944, Florida Statutes, to
eliminate any ambiguity concerning the
department’s
authority
to
mandate
participation in programs.

However, due to the loss of positions, the
department has changed the way the course is
taught, which may reduce its effectiveness.
When we initially examined the course, it was
taught by an on-site instructor who used a
workbook, supervised class progress, and
answered questions.
Now, due to the
reduction in education staff, the course
typically consists of viewing instructional
videos four hours each day for five weeks or
participating in distance learning. While the
inmates are given the workbooks to read,
many are not literate.
This change in
instructional design may limit the program’s
ability to prepare inmates for release and thus
its ability to reduce recidivism.
The
department should evaluate the impact of the
restructured class on recidivism.

The department has not pursued statutory
changes because it does not consider it
necessary.
The department believes that
Rule 33-507.101(2), Florida Administrative Code,
is an adequate vehicle for mandated
participation
of
selected
inmates
in
recommended substance abuse programs.
According to department staff, most inmates do
not object to mandatory participation in the
program and the threat of disciplinary reports if
they refuse is adequate for most to comply. The
department abandoned plans to mandate
participation in education programs other than
basic literacy classes because budget cuts
reduced the number of academic courses
available. 10 We conclude that no further action
is needed at this time.

The department did not pursue statutory
changes mandating inmate participation in
substance abuse and education programs
Our 2000 review noted that the department
initiated mandatory inmate participation in

9

10

The remainder were released early, refused to participate or
transferred to another court jurisdiction.

Section 944.801, F.S., provides that the department is authorized
to mandate literacy education for inmates who test below the
ninth-grade level.

OPPAGA supports the Florida Legislature by providing evaluative research and objective analyses to promote government accountability and the
efficient and effective use of public resources. This project was conducted in accordance with applicable evaluation standards. Copies of this
report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by telephone (850/488-0021 or 800/531-2477), by FAX (850/487-3804), in
person, or by mail (OPPAGA Report Production, Claude Pepper Building, Room 312, 111 W. Madison St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475).
Flo r ida Monito r : www.oppaga.state.fl.us
Project supervised by Kathy McGuire (850/487-9224)
Project conducted by Anna Estes (850/487-0831)
Gary R. VanLandingham, OPPAGA Interim Director

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