Florida Prisons Offer Special Dorms for Veterans
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- Veterans’ dorm at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, Fla. (Photo courtesy: Florida Department of Corrections)
In honor of Veterans Day, the Florida Department of Corrections is opening special dorms for veterans in five Florida prisons.
The veteran dorms have several features that are different from the regular dorms, including daily flag raising and retiring ceremonies, staff with military backgrounds and the requirement of military standards for clothing, bunks and dorm areas.
The use of profanity is prohibited in these areas and the inmates are encouraged to attend evening group meetings. They are also required to maintain good behavior and be disciplinary report-free.
To be eligible, the inmates must be verified veterans, within three years of their prison release dates, and must volunteer to live in the special quarters.
“We are always looking for creative ways to encourage the inmate population to make positive changes in their lives,” Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ken Tucker said in a statement.
The inmate population is around 101,000 people in Florida. About 6,700 of those inmates have identified themselves as military veterans.
“The military emphasizes pride, character and integrity,” Tucker said. “By housing veteran inmates in the same dorm before their release from prison, they can work together to recapture some of those qualities, while also learning about programs and benefits available specifically for veterans.”
In addition to the special dorms, the correctional institutes offer specialized pre-release services for the inmate veterans to ease their re-entry into society and the workforce. These services include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling and academic and vocational programs to prepare the men for re-entry into the workforce.
The Florida Department of Corrections said that their mission is “to protect the public by operating safe and secure prisons and to assist inmates and offenders with their re-entry into society. Inmates living in Veteran’s Dormitories will have an incentive to maintain their good behavior while in prison and will be more likely to live as law-abiding people upon release.”
The participating prisons are the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, Gulf Correctional Institution in Wewahitchka, Martin Correctional Institution in Indianatown, Sumter Correctional Institution in Bushnell and Lowell Correctional Institution and Ocala.
About 300 inmates are currently participating in the program, which has room for 400 inmates and future expansion is possible.
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Do I hear, more taxes, please!
Posted by: Donald | November 11, 2011, 10:53 am 10:53 am
im not a veteran but my cousin served in iraq. we both do alot of harley rides(pocker runs) for the local veterans fondations. but, once a veteran breaks the law he/she isnt any better than any other criminal. shouldnt be treated in any special way. and sence when did we start calling jail cells dorms? dorms are for college kids trying to get a degree and make a better life for themselves.
Posted by: alan | November 11, 2011, 11:13 am 11:13 am
Alan, prisons are not supposed to be used as a form of punishment. But, rehabilitation. Veterans are not civilians. Look on the back of any military ID card which was awarded the 100% it says Civilian: NO. Your still in even though you are out.
We need more prisons like this and have Dorms for Vets if they are ever called back in to duty. Veteran VocRehab does a lot for the community. So not only these Dorms good for the community. Your exact words “Make a better life for themselves”.
Majority of Veterans in prison have biopolar, schizo, PTSD, and due to mental illness either has a drug or alcohol problem which landed them in jail in the first place. And, mental illness came from combat and/or natural disaster.
Majority of covict are repeat offenders. They cannot find a job, have a place to live. And, there is one place safe for them. That is jail. Those that are losing unemployment benefits are going to jail. It is called survival.
I would love to see this Nationwide.
Posted by: Storm | November 11, 2011, 12:28 pm 12:28 pm
We send young soldiers overseas to foreign lands and tell them to fight, kill, kick in doors, give medical attentention to their own and the enemy. These young soldiers come back scared and terrified and are told to reintegrate with society. When they can’t do this successfully and they end up committing crimes against society we wish to disown them and pretend they never served and that maybe we didn’t contribute to the situation they are currently in. Shame on anyone who feels that we should suddenly forget the services they provided. Even imprisioned, these soliders represent why we are free today. Happy Veterans day to all the incarcerated and thank you for your service.
Posted by: Charity | November 13, 2011, 12:32 am 12:32 am