Fla. Stat. § 957.04 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 957 / Section 957.04
957.04 Contract requirements.
Status: in_force

(1) A contract entered into under this chapter for the operation of contractor-operated correctional facilities shall maximize the cost savings of such facilities and: (a) Unless otherwise specified in this chapter, is not exempt from chapter 287, including the competitive solicitation requirements thereof. However, if there is a direct conflict between this chapter and chapter 287, this chapter shall control. Contracts entered into under this chapter for the operation of contractor-operated correctional facilities are not considered to be outsourced as defined in s. 287.012. The specific outsourcing requirements of s. 287.0571 are not required under this section. (b) Be executed with the contractor found most qualified. However, a contract for contractor-operated correctional services may not be entered into by the department unless the department determines that the contractor has demonstrated that it has: 1. The qualifications, experience, and management personnel necessary to carry out the terms of the contract. 2. The ability to expedite the siting, design, and construction of correctional facilities. 3. The ability to comply with applicable laws, court orders, and national correctional standards. (c) Indemnify the state and the department, including their officials and agents, against any and all liability, including, but not limited to, civil rights liability. Proof of satisfactory insurance is required in an amount to be determined by the department. (d) Require that the contractor seek, obtain, and maintain accreditation by the American Correctional Association for the facility under that contract. Compliance with amendments to the accreditation standards of the association is required upon the approval of such amendments by the department. (e) Require that the proposed facilities and the management plans for the inmates meet applicable American Correctional Association standards and the requirements of all applicable court orders and state law. (f) Establish operations standards for correctional facilities subject to the contract. However, if the department and the contractor disagree with an operations standard, the contractor may propose to waive any rule, policy, or procedure of the department related to the operations standards of correctional facilities which is inconsistent with the mission of the contractor to establish cost-effective, contractor-operated correctional facilities. The department shall be responsible for considering all requests from the contractor to waive any rule, policy, or procedure and shall render a final decision granting or denying such request. (g) Require the contractor to be responsible for a range of dental, medical, and psychological services; diet; education; and work programs at least equal to those provided by the department in comparable facilities. The work and education programs must be designed to reduce recidivism, and include opportunities to participate in such work programs as authorized pursuant to s. 946.523. However, with respect to the dental, medical, psychological, and dietary services, the department is authorized to exclude any or all of these services from a contract for private correctional services entered into under this chapter and retain responsibility for the delivery of those services, whenever the department finds it to be in the best interests of the state. (h) Require the selection and appointment of a full-time contract monitor. The contract monitor shall be appointed and supervised by the department. The contractor is required to reimburse the department for the salary and expenses of the contract monitor. It is the obligation of the contractor to provide suitable office space for the contract monitor at the correctional facility. The contract monitor shall have unlimited access to the correctional facility. (i) Be for a period of 3 years and may be renewed for successive 2-year periods thereafter. However, the state is not obligated for any payments to the contractor beyond current annual appropriations.

(2) Each contract entered into for the design and construction of a contractor-operated correctional facility or juvenile commitment facility must include: (a) Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 255 to the contrary, a specific provision authorizing the use of tax-exempt financing through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds, certificates of participation, lease-purchase agreements, or other tax-exempt financing methods. Pursuant to s. 255.25, approval is hereby provided for the lease-purchase of up to two contractor-operated correctional facilities and any other facility authorized by the General Appropriations Act. (b) A specific provision requiring the design and construction of the proposed facilities to meet the applicable standards of the American Correctional Association and the requirements of all applicable court orders and state law. (c) A specific provision requiring the contractor, and not the department, to obtain the financing required to design and construct the contractor-operated correctional facility or juvenile commitment facility built under this chapter. (d) A specific provision stating that the state is not obligated for any payments that exceed the amount of the current annual appropriation.

(3)(a) Each contract for the designing, financing, acquiring, leasing, constructing, and operating of a contractor-operated correctional facility shall be subject to ss. 255.2502 and 255.2503. (b) Each contract for the designing, financing, acquiring, leasing, and constructing of a contractor-operated juvenile commitment facility shall be subject to ss. 255.2502 and 255.2503.

(4) A contract entered into under this chapter does not accord third-party beneficiary status to any inmate or juvenile offender or to any member of the general public.

(5) Notwithstanding s. 253.025(9), the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund need not approve a lease-purchase agreement negotiated by the department if the department finds that there is a need to expedite the lease-purchase.

(6)(a) Notwithstanding s. 253.025 or s. 287.057, whenever the department finds it to be in the best interest of timely site acquisition, it may contract without the need for competitive selection with one or more appraisers whose names are contained on the list of approved appraisers maintained by the Division of State Lands of the Department of Environmental Protection in accordance with s. 253.025(8). In those instances when the department directly contracts for appraisal services, it shall also contract with an approved appraiser who is not employed by the same appraisal firm for review services. (b) Notwithstanding s. 253.025(8), the department may negotiate and enter into lease-purchase agreements before an appraisal is obtained. Any such agreement must state that the final purchase price cannot exceed the maximum value allowed by law.

History: s. 40, ch. 93-406; s. 2, ch. 94-148; s. 56, ch. 96-312; s. 13, ch. 96-420; s. 22, ch. 96-422; s. 124, ch. 99-3; s. 26, ch. 99-4; s. 6, ch. 99-271; s. 12, ch. 2001-242; s. 1939, ch. 2003-261; s. 13, ch. 2004-248; s. 23, ch. 2006-2; s. 3, ch. 2006-32; s. 46, ch. 2016-233; s. 12, ch. 2023-268; s. 3, ch. 2024-84; s. 22, ch. 2025-81.