“Despite Florida’s low crime rates and despite prison admissions declining for nine of the last 10 years, Florida’s prison and jails budgets are higher than ever. Due to long sentences, the inmate population has stayed stubbornly near its all-time high, and this past year, the state budget gave $2.3 billion for the Department of Corrections, and even that wasn’t enough — the agency hit a $79 million deficit.“

Florida Times-Union

October 19, 2018