Fla. Stat. § 951.23 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 951 / Section 951.23
951.23 County and municipal detention facilities; definitions; administration; standards and requirements.
Status: in_force

(1) DEFINITIONS. — As used in this section, the term: (a) “County detention facility” means a county jail, a county stockade, a county work camp, a county residential probation center, and any other place except a municipal detention facility used by a county or county officer for the detention of persons charged with or convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor, regardless of whether such facility is operated by a board of county commissioners, a sheriff, or any other entity. (b) “County prisoner” means a person who is detained in a county detention facility by reason of being charged with or convicted of either felony or misdemeanor. (c) “County residential probation center” means a county-operated facility housing offenders serving misdemeanor sentences or first-time felony sentences. Such facilities shall provide or contract for the provision of the programs established under s. 951.231. (d) “Municipal detention facility” means a city jail, a city stockade, a city prison camp, and any other place except a county detention facility used by a municipality or municipal officer for the detention of persons charged with or convicted of violation of municipal laws or ordinances, regardless of whether such facility is operated by a city or any other entity. (e) “Municipal prisoner” means a person who is detained in a municipal detention facility by reason of being charged with or convicted of violation of municipal law or ordinance. (f) “Reduced custody housing area” means that area of a county detention facility or municipal detention facility which is designed to hold a large number of prisoners in a dormitory or barracks-type setting. The area may or may not have a security exterior, limited access, or exterior walls constructed of canvas, cloth, or any material similarly flexible or woven, which is flame resistant and is supported by a structural frame of metal or similar durable material.

(2) COLLECTION OF INFORMATION. — In conjunction with the administrators of county detention facilities, the Department of Corrections shall develop an instrument for the collection of information from the administrator of each county detention facility. Whenever possible, the information shall be transmitted by the administrator to the Department of Corrections electronically or in a computer readable format. The information shall be provided on a monthly basis and shall include, but is not limited to, the following: (a) The number of persons housed per day who are: 1. Felons sentenced to cumulative sentences of incarceration of 364 days or less. 2. Felons sentenced to cumulative sentences of incarceration of 365 days or more. 3. Sentenced misdemeanants. 4. Awaiting trial on at least one felony charge. 5. Awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges only. 6. Convicted felons and misdemeanants who are awaiting sentencing. 7. Juveniles. 8. State parole violators. 9. State inmates who were transferred from a state correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.02, to the county detention facility. (b) The number of persons housed per day, admitted per month, and housed on the last day of the month, by age, race, sex, country of citizenship, country of birth, and immigration status classified as one of the following: 1. Permanent legal resident of the United States. 2. Legal visitor. 3. Undocumented or illegal alien. 4. Unknown status. (c) The number of persons housed per day: 1. Pursuant to part I of chapter 394, “The Florida Mental Health Act.” 2. Pursuant to chapter 397, “Substance Abuse Services.” (d) The cost per day for housing a person in the county detention facility. (e) The number of persons admitted per month, and the number of persons housed on the last day of the month, by age, race, and sex, who are: 1. Felons sentenced to cumulative sentences of incarceration of 364 days or less. 2. Felons sentenced to cumulative sentences of incarceration of 365 days or more. 3. Sentenced misdemeanants. 4. Awaiting trial on at least one felony charge. 5. Awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges only. 6. Convicted felons and misdemeanants who are awaiting sentencing. 7. Juveniles. 8. State parole violators. 9. State inmates who were transferred from a state correctional facility, as defined in s. 944.02, to the county detention facility. (f) The number of persons admitted per month, by age, race, and sex: 1. Pursuant to part I of chapter 394, “The Florida Mental Health Act.” 2. Pursuant to chapter 397, “Substance Abuse Services.”

(3) ANALYSIS AND USE OF INFORMATION; LISTS OF CONSTRUCTION PLANS. — The information shall be analyzed and evaluated by the Department of Corrections for comparisons of various categories between counties and may be used for the provision of technical assistance, upon request of the chief correctional officer. Such assistance may include, but is not limited to, enhancement of existing pretrial intervention programs and state reimbursement for operational, renovation, or construction costs for county detention facilities.

(4) COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL DETENTION FACILITY STANDARDS. — (a) There is established the Florida Model Jail Standards Working Group to develop and maintain model standards for county and municipal detention facilities. The seven-member working group shall consist of: 1. Three currently elected sheriffs, appointed by the Florida Sheriffs Association. 2. A physician licensed in this state with at least 2 years of experience in correctional health care, appointed by the Florida Sheriffs Association. 3. A currently elected county commissioner, appointed by the Florida Association of Counties. 4. An experienced jail administrator of a county jail operated by a county, appointed by the Florida Association of Counties. 5. A psychiatrist licensed in this state with at least 2 years of experience in correctional psychiatry, appointed by the Florida Association of Counties. (b) Each sheriff, county, city, or other entity that operates a municipal detention facility or a county detention facility shall adopt, at a minimum, the Florida Model Jail Standards approved by the working group with reference to all of the following: 1. The construction, equipping, maintenance, and operation of county and municipal detention facilities. 2. The cleanliness and sanitation of county and municipal detention facilities. 3. The number of county and municipal prisoners who may be housed therein per specified unit of floor space. 4. The quality, quantity, and supply of bedding furnished to county and municipal prisoners. 5. The quality, quantity, and diversity of food served to county and municipal prisoners and the manner in which it is served. 6. The furnishing of medical attention and health and comfort items to county and municipal prisoners. 7. The disciplinary treatment which may be meted out to county and municipal prisoners. 8. The confinement of county and municipal prisoners by classification and providing, whenever possible, for classifications which separate males from females, juveniles from adults, and felons from misdemeanants, and, in addition, providing for the separation of special risk prisoners, such as the mentally ill, alcohol or narcotic addicts, sex deviates, suicide risks, and any other classification which the local unit may deem necessary for the safety of the prisoners and the operation of the facility pursuant to degree of risk and danger criteria. Nondangerous felons may be housed with misdemeanants. Special consideration must be given to the appropriate housing of pregnant women as provided under s. 944.241. 9. Requirements for the inspection of county and municipal detention facilities and the penalties for noncompliance as provided in s. 951.2302. Notwithstanding the provisions of the otherwise applicable building code, a reduced custody housing area may be occupied by prisoners or may be used for sleeping purposes as allowed in subsection (7). The sheriff or chief correctional officer shall provide that a reduced custody housing area shall be governed by fire and life safety standards which do not interfere with the normal use of the facility and which affect a reasonable degree of compliance with rules of the State Fire Marshal for correctional facilities. (c) A county or municipal detention facility which stocks medicinal drugs in quantities other than individual prescriptions must obtain the services of a consultant pharmacist or dispensing physician and comply with the licensing requirements of chapter 465. A facility which has a valid license pursuant to chapter 465 shall have that part of its medical services relating to procedures for the safe handling and storage of medicinal drugs exempt from the inspection requirements of this section. A facility which maintains only individual prescriptions dispensed by a licensed pharmacist is not required to be licensed under chapter 465.

(5) FIRESAFETY INSPECTIONS. — The managing body of the county or municipal detention facility shall contract for the firesafety inspections of such facilities. The inspections must be performed by personnel certified by the State Fire Marshal’s office as firesafety inspectors and must be performed at least once annually.

(6) REMOVAL OF PRISONERS TO ANOTHER COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY. — (a) When a court finds that county or municipal prisoners are detained in a county or municipal detention facility that does not meet minimum standards and requirements, the court may order the prisoners, or any part of them, removed to and confined in a county or municipal detention facility that does meet such standards and requirements, whether it is in the same county or municipality or in some other county or municipality. (b) The expense of maintaining prisoners removed to another county or municipality under the provisions of paragraph (a) shall be borne by the county or municipality from which they are removed. (c) Promptly upon the making of any order authorized by paragraph (a), copies thereof shall be sent to the officer in charge of the county or municipal detention facility from which the county or municipal prisoners affected by such order are required to be removed, to the board of county commissioners of the county or the city commissioners of the municipality in which such county or municipal detention facility is situated, and to the officer in charge of the county or municipal detention facility to which they are required to be removed. If the order requires the removal of county or municipal prisoners to a county or municipal detention facility in another county or municipality, a copy thereof shall also be promptly sent to the board of county commissioners of the county, or the city commissioners of the municipality, in which it is situated.

(7) USE OF REDUCED CUSTODY HOUSING AREA. — Any county detention facility or municipal detention facility may provide for the custody on a temporary basis in a reduced custody housing area of sentenced or unsentenced misdemeanants, nondangerous felons, or such other inmates who are determined by the sheriff or other chief correctional officer to not present a risk of escape or a threat to the staff, other inmates, or themselves.

(8) ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT. — Upon the request of a sheriff, or the chair of the board of county commissioners in a county in which the chief corrections officer is not a constitutional officer, the Department of Corrections may provide technical assistance to local governments in the design and implementation of offender classification systems, evaluation of construction and financing alternatives, the development of community service programs, and the use of mutual aid programs in jail-sharing efforts.

(9) INMATE COMMISSARY AND WELFARE FUND. — (a) A commissary may be operated in the detention facility. If a commissary is established, then an inmate welfare fund shall also be established. The officer in charge will establish a procedure for providing commissary or canteen facilities or access to canteen items for the benefit of the inmate. The commissary or canteen shall not sell food that competes with the detention facility food program. It is recommended that inmates routinely carry no money and that a check-off system from their account be implemented. If money is permitted, a limit shall be set and all money in possession in excess of that limit shall be confiscated and deposited immediately in the inmate welfare fund, if there is one, unless it is needed as evidence in a trial or disciplinary hearing. If a detention facility does not have an inmate welfare fund, confiscated moneys shall be receipted and placed in the inmate’s personal property or inmate bank account. A shopping list shall be developed and printed for the information of all inmates with the prices and special conditions governing each sale shown clearly on such a list. Valuable items purchased by inmates shall be added to their personal property list after purchase and marked for identification. (b) Canteen prices shall be set so as not to exceed the fair market value for comparable products sold in the community where the facility is located. (c) Expenses involved in the commissary operation, including compensation for commissary employees and gratuities for inmates who may assist such employees, may be paid from the profit. (d) Profits from the commissary shall be used for overall inmate welfare, and an inmate welfare fund committee shall recommend what expenditures are to be made. Activities of the committee shall be reviewed by the officer in charge who shall have final authority on expenditures. It is recommended that the jail chaplain be a member of the committee. (e) The officer in charge shall be responsible for an audit of the fiscal management of the commissary by a disinterested party on an annual basis, which shall include certification of compliance with the pricing requirements of paragraph (b). Appropriate transaction records and stock inventory shall be kept current.

(10) PENALTIES. — It is a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for a county prisoner or a municipal prisoner in a county detention facility to knowingly, on two or more occasions, violate a posted jail rule governing the conduct of prisoners, if the rule prohibits any of the following acts: (a) Assaulting any person; (b) Fighting with another person; (c) Threatening another with bodily harm, or any offense against another person or property; (d) Extortion, blackmail, protection, demanding or receiving money or anything of value in return for protection against others to avoid bodily harm, or under threat of informing; (e) Engaging in sexual acts with others; (f) Making sexual proposals or threats to another; (g) Indecent exposure; (h) Escape; (i) Attempting or planning escape; (j) Wearing a disguise or mask; (k) Setting a fire; (l) Destroying, altering, damaging, or defacing government property or the property of another person; (m) Stealing (theft); (n) Tampering with or blocking any locking device; (o) Adulteration of any food or drink; (p) Possession or introduction of any explosive, ammunition, firearm, or weapon; (q) Possession of contraband; (r) Misuse of authorized medication; (s) Loaning of property or anything of value for profit or increased return; (t) Possession of anything not authorized for retention or receipt by the inmate and not issued to him or her through regular institutional channels; (u) Mutilating or altering issued clothing, bedding, linen, or mattresses; (v) Rioting; (w) Encouraging others to riot; (x) Engaging in or encouraging a group demonstration; (y) Refusing to work; (z) Encouraging others to refuse to work or participating in work stoppage; (aa) Refusing to obey a reasonable order of any staff member; (bb) Unexcused absence from work or any assignment; (cc) Malingering; feigning an illness or injury; (dd) Failing to perform work as instructed by a supervisor; (ee) Lying or providing a false statement to a staff member; (ff) Conduct which disrupts or interferes with the security or orderly running of the institution; (gg) Counterfeiting, forging, or unauthorized reproduction of any document, article, or identification, money, security, or official paper; (hh) Participating in an unauthorized meeting or gathering; (ii) Being in an unauthorized area; (jj) Failure to follow safety or sanitation regulations; (kk) Using any equipment or machinery contrary to instructions or posted safety standards; (ll) Failing to stand count; (mm) Interfering with the taking of count; (nn) Making intoxicants or being intoxicated; (oo) Smoking where prohibited; (pp) Using abusive or obscene language; (qq) Gambling; preparing or conducting a gambling pool; possession of gambling paraphernalia; (rr) Being unsanitary or untidy; failing to keep one’s person and one’s quarters in accordance with posted standards; (ss) Tattooing or self-mutilation; (tt) Unauthorized use of mail or telephone; (uu) Unauthorized contacts with the public; (vv) Correspondence or conduct with a visitor in violation of posted regulations; (ww) Giving or offering any official or staff member a bribe or anything of value; or (xx) Giving money or anything of value to, or accepting money or anything of value from another inmate, a member of his or her family, or his or her friend. Punishment for a violation of this subsection shall run consecutive to any other sentence.

(11) GANG STATUS OF INMATES. — A county or municipal detention facility may designate an individual to be responsible for assessing whether each current inmate is a criminal gang member or associate using the criteria in s. 874.03. The individual should at least once biweekly transmit information on inmates believed to be criminal gang members or associates to the arresting law enforcement agency.

History: ss. 1-6, ch. 67-17; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; ss. 1, 2, ch. 70-441; s. 2, ch. 71-113; s. 99, ch. 77-120; s. 117, ch. 79-3; s. 502, ch. 81-259; s. 1, ch. 83-33; s. 29, ch. 83-131; s. 17, ch. 85-288; s. 1, ch. 86-80; s. 1, ch. 86-235; s. 1, ch. 87-340; s. 78, ch. 88-122; s. 1, ch. 90-97; s. 28, ch. 91-225; s. 1, ch. 92-117; s. 46, ch. 93-39; s. 48, ch. 95-283; s. 31, ch. 96-312; s. 1880, ch. 97-102; s. 9, ch. 98-388; s. 3, ch. 99-361; s. 28, ch. 2000-157; s. 47, ch. 2010-117; s. 3, ch. 2013-80; s. 172, ch. 2014-17; s. 1, ch. 2022-108; s. 132, ch. 2023-8.