It’s not every day that a K9 unit is recognized for its efforts to find a missing person and return them home.

A top supplier of digital devices for U.S. prisons is launching a new program to help incarcerated individuals earn a high school diploma by using the company’s tablets.

The initial results of a state-commissioned audit found Florida’s prison system is unsustainable without significant changes and billions of dollars in investment.

One of the main concerns for people in Jacksonville is crime. We see a revolving door for some people, with one arrest after another. What if we could help them become a thriving, healthy part of our community through rehab, counseling and support?

A man convicted of killing two women he met at beach bars in the Florida Panhandle in 1996 is set to be executed.

A man convicted of killing and sexually assaulting a teenage girl and another woman in separate South Florida attacks in 1984 is set to be executed next month.

Florida has executed a man convicted of breaking into a woman's home and stabbing her to death in 1986.

Florida has executed a man known as the “ninja killer” for the 1989 slayings of a couple visiting the state from New Jersey.

A man convicted of breaking into a woman’s Florida Panhandle apartment and fatally stabbing her 37 times in 1986 is set to be executed next month.

Pay hikes, shorter shifts and shuttering facilities are some of the strategies Florida has employed to try to rehabilitate a prison system that leaders have said is in crisis.

Families of Florida inmates tell News4JAX they feel like they may be the ones being punished if state officials approve a Department of Corrections proposal. It would limit visitation hours -- among other things.

A death row inmate who killed a Clay County woman and raped her daughter has died in prison.

The Florida Department of Corrections announced Saturday that a correctional officer trainee had died after she was injured in an apparent accident during firearms training Thursday.

Despite pushback earlier this year for a plan to shutter some state prisons in Florida’s rural regions where the communities rely on their economic impact, the Florida Department of Corrections is moving forward with “strategically consolidating” several Northeast Florida prisons.

Looking to curb contraband coming into Florida prisons, a proposed a new rule that would digitize all incoming “routine mail” for inmates, affecting things like personal letters, celebratory cards and photos.

The Nassau County jail is dealing with a spike in coronavirus cases impacting about a fifth of its inmate population, authorities said. According to the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, 46 male inmates — or about 21% of the 212 inmates in custody there — have been placed in quarantine after testing positive for the virus. The surge in cases at the Nassau County jail comes as Florida’s jails and prisons continue to grapple with the virus. While most inmates and staff have been cleared after testing positive, 208 inmates have died. Last month, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office confirmed that three inmates at the Duval County jail have died as a result of complications from COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of Florida prison inmates who have died of COVID-19 has inched up to 205 as case numbers in the corrections system continue to increase, according to totals posted online Wednesday. The inmate death total was up from 204 reported last week. The number of reported deaths of prison staff members remained at six. As of Wednesday, 17,734 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic started, up from 17,614 a week earlier, according to Department of Corrections numbers. Meanwhile, 4,955 corrections workers had tested positive, an increase of two from last week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – More than 200 Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic started early last year, according to information released Wednesday by the state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Health. Also, six prison staff members have died of COVID-19, up one from last week. The Reception and Medical Center in Union County has been linked to 44 inmate deaths, while the South Florida Reception Center in Miami-Dade County has been linked to 24, according to a breakdown on the Florida Department of Health website. Union Correctional Institution has had 15 inmate deaths, while Columbia Correctional Institution and Dade Correctional Institution have each had 10. In all, 17,614 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to the Florida Department of Corrections website.

OCALA, Fla. – A Florida women’s prison has likely violated inmates’ constitutional rights by failing to protect them from sexual abuse by staff, federal investigators announced Tuesday. The Justice Department provided the prison with written notice and suggested minimum remedial measures that include installing additional video surveillance and adopting new policies to protect inmates, officials said. “Prison officials have a constitutional duty to protect prisoners from harm, including sexual abuse by staff,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband said in a statement. The investigation found that sexual abuse by staff was frequent at Lowell and that the women remain at substantial risk, officials said. Prisoners are discouraged from reporting sexual abuse, and investigations of sexual abuse allegations are inadequate, investigators said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Pointing to a backlog of criminal cases during the coronavirus pandemic, state analysts say the number of inmates in Florida prisons has dropped -- but is expected to snap back to more-normal levels in the coming years. The number of inmates is forecast to be at 82,116 in June, the end of the state’s fiscal year. In June 2020 -- after the pandemic started -- the system had 87,736 inmates, according to the report issued by a panel known as the Criminal Justice Estimating Conference. That also could play a part in future population numbers in the state prison system. The analysts wrote that “an unknown number of future inmates will earn atypically low jail credits prior to sentencing and transfer to the state system.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Another three state prison inmates died of COVID-19 during the past week, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 187, according to numbers released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Corrections. In all, 16,999 state inmates and 3,647 corrections workers have tested positive for the infectious disease during the pandemic. Two prisons -- Columbia Correctional Institution and Lowell Correctional Institution -- have had more than 1,000 inmate cases. Seven prisons also have totaled more than 100 worker cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional four Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, while state officials said they have taken steps after a surge in coronavirus cases at a Panhandle prison. The Department of Corrections said Thursday on its website that the deaths of 184 inmates have been linked to COVID-19, up from 180 reported last week. Meanwhile, the department said Tuesday it has taken additional steps after more than 300 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at Walton Correctional Institution. As of Thursday morning, 318 inmates at the prison were reported to have tested positive and were in medical isolation. “The great majority of inmates at Walton CI who have tested positive presented mild or no symptoms of the virus when they were tested,” the news release said.

The numbers showed an additional 246 inmates had tested positive since a Friday count and that an additional 324 inmates tested positive during the past week, according to the department. In all, 16,944 inmates have tested positive. At least part of the recent increase came at Walton Correctional Institution, where 315 inmates were reported to have tested positive as of Monday. Department reports last week showed that hundreds of inmate test results were pending at the Northwest Florida prison. The department also reported Monday that 3,540 corrections workers have tested positive, an increase of eight from a Friday count.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 10 Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 180, according to information released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Also, two workers at the Reception and Medical Center have died of the virus. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 21; Union Correctional Institution, with 13; Columbia Correctional Institution, with 10; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; Okeechobee Correctional Institution, with six; South Bay Correctional Facility, with six; and Suwannee Correctional Institution, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,631 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to numbers posted by the Department of Corrections. Also, 3,508 corrections workers have tested positive and four have died.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of Florida prison inmates who have died of COVID-19 has hit 170, as the state added nine deaths in a week, according to the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Three of the additional deaths were at the Reception and Medical Center in Union County, bringing the total for that facility to 34, Department of Health numbers show. Also, two workers at the Reception and Medical Center have died of the virus. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 20; Union Correctional Institution, with 13; Columbia Correctional Institution, with 10; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; Okeechobee Correctional Institution, with six; South Bay Correctional Facility, with six; and Suwannee Correctional Institution, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,624 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to numbers posted Thursday by the state Department of Corrections.

The mother of a Florida corrections officer who died after contracting COVID-19 is speaking out, describing what she calls a lack of preparedness at the state facility where he worked. Even after his diagnosis, she said, his supervisors told him to downplay the illness so that he could continue working at the state-run corrections facility. According to figures provided by the Department of Corrections, 131 staffers and 316 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Lake Butler facility since the pandemic began. A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Corrections said the state’s prisons strictly follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that aim to limit the spread of the contagious illness. In response to questions from News4Jax, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Glady issued this statement Monday:“The department is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Correctional Officer Londell Woodbury.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With much of the increase linked to two facilities in Union County, an additional 13 state prison inmates have died of COVID-19, according to information released by the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Health. Six of the additional deaths were linked to the Reception and Medical Center in Union County, bringing the total for the facility to 29. Also, three were linked to Union Correctional Institution, bringing its total to 10, according to weekly information posted online by the Department of Health. Other facilities tied to the largest numbers of inmate deaths since the start of the pandemic are the South Florida Reception Center, with 20; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Columbia Correctional Institution, with nine; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; and the South Bay Correctional Facility, with six. Since the pandemic began, 16,483 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Wednesday, according to the Department of Corrections.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a lengthy message Tuesday to inmates and offenders, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch called a reduction in COVID-19 cases “encouraging” -- but also acknowledged that the pandemic remains a threat. No, quite the opposite,” Inch wrote. “I am optimistic that we can all show the discipline and patience necessary to fight and ride out this pandemic, the worst pandemic in 100 years,” Inch wrote. “We must follow our established pandemic control procedures and new modified visitation and volunteer procedures. On balance, you have cooperated very well with our joint efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Seven additional Florida prison inmates died during the past week of COVID-19, bringing the total to 141 since the start of the pandemic, according to state reports. The 141 deaths were the reported total as of Wednesday and were up from 134 a week earlier. The Reception and Medical Center in Union County has had 23 inmate deaths, including one during the past week, according to numbers posted on the Florida Department of Health website. Other prisons that have been linked to the most inmate deaths are the South Florida Reception Center, with 19; Dade Correctional Institution, with 10; Columbia Correctional Institution, with nine; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Union Correctional Institution, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; and South Bay Correctional Facility, with six.

The Florida Department of Corrections is investigating the in-custody death of a 48-year-old Palatka man serving life in prison for a pair of 2016 murders. Jerry Keene Jr. was found dead Sept. 26 at Wakulla Correctional Institution in Crawfordsville, according to the Department of Corrections. “The safe and secure operation of Florida’s correctional institutions is the Department of Corrections' top priority,” the agency said Wednesday in an emailed statement. The 48-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Thomas Lombardo, who was killed during an argument in January 2016. While in custody on charges in that case, Keene beat his cellmate Austin Steybe, a 20-year-old man awaiting trial in the murder of his own grandmother.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Another state prison inmate’s death has been linked to COVID-19, bringing the total number to 132 since the pandemic began, according to information released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Corrections. Also, positive tests among inmates and corrections staff members continued to climb. An additional 82 inmate cases were reported Tuesday, bringing the overall total to 16,349. As of noon Tuesday, 136 inmate COVID-19 tests were pending, with the largest number, 35, at Graceville Correctional Facility in Northwest Florida. Also, an additional 25 corrections workers had tested positive, bringing the total to 3,147, according to the numbers released Tuesday by the department.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 30 state prison inmates and 16 corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the overall total to 19,389 since the pandemic started, according to state numbers released Monday. As of a noon Monday count, 16,267 inmates had tested positive, up from 16,237 on Friday. Meanwhile, 3,122 corrections workers had tested positive, up from 3,106 on Friday, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. The number of inmate deaths related to the virus remained at 131. Tests were pending Monday for 148 inmates, with 50 of them at Blackwater Correctional Facility in Northwest Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida has added a dozen inmate deaths from COVID-19 during the past week, with the total up to 131, according to numbers released Thursday by the state Department of Corrections. As of noon Thursday, 16,207 inmates had tested positive, an increase of 10 cases from a Wednesday count. The number of reported inmate deaths jumped from 127 on Wednesday to 131 on Thursday. As of Wednesday, 18 of the deaths involved prisoners at the Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler, while 17 involved prisoners at the South Florida Reception Center in Doral, according to the Florida Department of Health. Another 10 involved prisoners at Dade Correctional Institution in Florida City, while nine involved prisoners at Columbia Correctional Institution near Lake City.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 25 Florida corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total to 2,998 since the pandemic began in March, according to numbers released Monday by the state Department of Corrections. The increase came after the department reported Friday that 2,973 workers had been infected. Also, the number of inmates who have tested positive increased from 16,081 on Friday to 16,093 on Monday. The largest numbers of corrections workers who have tested positive have occurred at prisons in North Florida and Miami-Dade County. Those prisons are Dade Correctional Institution, with 167 worker cases; Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, with 166 cases; South Florida Reception Center, with 148 cases; Wakulla Correctional Institution, with 146 cases; Suwannee Correctional Institution, with 113 cases; and Everglades Correctional Institution, with 106 cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida is nearing 16,000 COVID-19 cases among prison inmates and 3,000 cases among corrections workers. A report released Wednesday by the state Department of Corrections showed an additional 49 inmate cases, bringing the total since March to 15,983 cases. RELATED: See the Florida Department of Correcitons COVID-19 dashboardThe report also showed an additional 28 cases among corrections workers, bringing the total to 2,940. In addition, 117 inmates have died, a number that remained unchanged Wednesday. A Florida Department of Health report shows that 17 of the deaths have involved inmates at South Florida Reception Center, 12 have involved inmates at the Reception and Medical Center and 10 have involved inmates at Dade Correctional Institution.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – An additional 40 state prison inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases since March to 15,852, according to information released Monday by the Florida Department of Corrections. The number of inmates who have died from the virus remained at 117. Meanwhile, the department said 2,867 corrections workers had tested positive since the pandemic began. Six prisons have had more than 100 workers test positive. Those prisons are Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center, Suwannee Correctional Institution and Wakulla Correctional Institution.

“Starting Oct. 2, we will be resuming visitation at institutions where it is safe and appropriate to do so,” Inch said. Numerous safety measures will be in place, and interactions with your loved ones will be modified. I am confident we can move forward safely with a careful approach.”The state stopped visitation in March. As of Friday, 15,812 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, and 117 had died. Also, 2,836 workers in the corrections system had tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The COVID-19 inmate death toll in Florida’s prison system has reached 117, with three prisons having at least 10 deaths, according to new state numbers. The 117 inmate deaths were up from 114 in a Wednesday count, the Florida Department of Corrections reported Thursday. Also, the Florida Department of Health has released numbers showing 17 deaths of inmates at South Florida Reception Center, 10 deaths of inmates at Dade Correctional Institution and 10 deaths of inmates at the Reception and Medical Center. Other prisons with large numbers of inmate deaths included Columbia Correctional Institution, with eight; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with seven; Suwannee Correctional Institution, with seven; Everglades Correctional Institution, with six; Graceville Correctional Facility, with six; and South Bay Correctional Facility, with six. In all, 15,744 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Department of Corrections.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Another four Florida prison inmates have died of COVID-19, bringing the inmate death toll to 111, according to numbers released Tuesday by the state Department of Corrections. The information, as is common, did not disclose when or where the inmates died. But a state tally Friday showed 107 inmate deaths. The highly contagious virus has raced through Floridas prison system, with 15,672 inmates and 2,718 corrections workers testing positive as of Tuesday. The prisons with the largest numbers of inmate cases since the pandemic started are Columbia Correctional Institution, with 1,338; Lowell Correctional Institution, with 1,003; Mayo Annex, with 954; Suwannee Correctional Institution, with 818; Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, with 808; and Century Correctional Institution, with 771.

Other institutions have reported hundreds of prisoner coronavirus cases, and the total number of inmates who have tested positive statewide exceeds 15,600. At least 16 South Florida Reception Center inmates have died of COVID-19, the Florida Department of Health reported earlier this week. Its stressing them out, Jim Baiardi, who leads the state corrections chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, told The News Service of Florida on Friday. Baiardi predicted that the virus will have a dire impact on the already short-staffed state corrections agency when the pandemic subsides. According to the federal Bureau of Prisons website, six inmates at federal prisons in Florida have died of complications related to COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Two more Florida inmates have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the coronavirus death toll among prisoners to 88, according to a report released by state corrections officials on Wednesday. The latest report showed that an additional 44 inmates and 30 corrections workers tested positive for the highly contagious coronavirus, which causes the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, since Tuesday. As of mid-Wednesday, 15,445 inmates and 2,496 corrections workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic earlier this year. Data released Wednesday shows 227 workers were tested over the past week, with 156 of the workers testing positive for COVID-19. Five prisons Dade Correctional Institution, Wakulla Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center and Everglades Correctional Institution each have at least 100 workers who have tested positive for the virus.

Since Monday, an additional 35 inmates and 42 workers have tested positive for the virus. As the virus continues to spread throughout the state prison system, the number of inmates who have tested positive for the highly contagious virus has skyrocketed. Lowell Correctional Institution, a womens prison in Ocala, reached 1,000 cases on Tuesday. Columbia Correctional Institution, a prison in Lake City with 1,338 inmate cases, is the only other prison in the state with more than 1,000 inmate cases. For example, Mayo Annex has 949 cases, Suwannee Correctional Institution has 811 cases, and Century Correctional Institution has 766 cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Three Florida inmates died from complications of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the death toll among prisoners to 84, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Corrections. August has been the deadliest month in Floridas prison system since the start of the pandemic, with 33 inmates and three correctional officers dying of COVID-19. Corrections and health officials have offered testing to inmates and workers at 49 correctional facilities that have experienced outbreaks. As of Monday, four prisons Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center, Everglades Correctional Institution and Dade Correctional Institution each have had at least 100 workers who have tested positive for the virus. For example, Columbia Correctional Institution has had 1,338 inmate cases; Lowell Correctional Institution has had 993 cases; Mayo Annex has had 948 cases; and Santa Rosa Correctional Institution has had 806 cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A third Florida correctional officer has died from complications of COVID-19, the Florida Department of Corrections confirmed on Wednesday, nine days after the officer died. Johnnie Brown, a correctional officer who was assigned to the Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler, began his career with the Florida Department of Corrections in 2006. Officer Browns loss will be felt by many, his character and contributions as a correctional officer to the Florida Department of Corrections will be remembered by all who worked alongside him each day, Corrections Secretary Mark Inch said in a statement Wednesday. As of midday Wednesday, 15,170 prisoners and 2,340 corrections workers had tested positive for the virus, and 77 inmates had died. Corrections officials said Wednesday that 1,468 corrections workers who had tested positive for the virus have been cleared to return to work.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. As the numbers of COVID-19 deaths and infections among inmates and workers continue to increase, state corrections officials on Tuesday extended a ban on prison visitations through Sept. 14. The department first imposed the visitation ban in March to try to prevent the coronavirus from spreading throughout the state prison system, which houses roughly 87,000 inmates. As of mid-Tuesday, 15,049 inmates and 2,306 corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. Corrections officials reported Tuesday that 75 prisoners have died from complications of COVID-19. Also on Tuesday, corrections officials reduced the number of prisoner deaths by one, saying they inaccurately attributed an inmate death to COVID-19 last week.

SANDERSON, Fla. Inmates and their families are speaking out about a COVID-19 outbreak at Baker Correctional Institution, saying safety protocols are not being followed. As of Wednesday, 561 inmates and 25 staff members at the facility in Sanderson had tested positive for the coronavirus, with 294 pending inmate tests, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. In comparison, a week ago, 20 inmates and 17 staff members had tested positive. Ive known him since I was 19 years old.But until hes released, Khachaturova worries every day for his safety after hundreds of inmates, including her husband, have tested positive for COVID-19. One inmate wrote News4Jax hes an insulin-dependent diabetic who has tested positive for COVID-19Im in a dorm with 75 inmates in total.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Florida lawmakers say steps need to be taken to help stop the spread of the coronavirus in state prisons. For months, state lawmakers say theyve been calling on Gov. Keith Harris with the Florida Justice League, a group advocating for criminal defense, says the group is currently processing a rule that the group says the DOC is not using. Harris says this rule is a consistent pattern to help thin out prison populations and is more effective than going through court hearings. The Florida Justice League is encouraging legislators to ask the DOC to engage prisons in using this rule.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Five more Florida inmates have died from complications of COVID-19, bringing the death toll among prisoners to 70, according to data released Tuesday by the state Department of Corrections. The disease has killed 45 inmates since July 1, 20 of whom died in the last two weeks, according to corrections officials. Two corrections officers also have died this month from complications of COVID-19, according to corrections officials and the Florida Police Benevolent Association, a union that represents officers. The number of prisoners and corrections workers who have tested positive for the virus has also continued to grow. The department, which oversees roughly 87,700 inmates and approximately 24,000 employees, reported Tuesday that 12,988 prisoners and 2,078 corrections workers had tested positive for the virus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s prison system recorded more than 1,500 new COVID-19 cases and two inmate deaths over the weekend, according to data released Monday by the state Department of Corrections. Also, an additional 98 corrections workers tested positive for the deadly respiratory illness over the weekend. As the virus continues to rapidly spread in the corrections system, several prisons have seen their COVID-19 cases explode this month. Taylor Correctional Institution, which is in Perry, went from 25 inmate cases on Aug. 1 to 564 inmate cases on Monday. Meanwhile, the Reception and Medical Center in Lake Butler went from a single case on Aug. 1 to 116 inmate cases on Monday.

SANDERSON, Fla. You might see the headline that Baker County set a record with 102 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Whats behind this big surge in a small county is an outbreak within Baker Correctional Institution in Sanderson. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, there were 266 cases among inmates at Baker Correctional as of Friday -- 42% the 630 total number of cases the state Health Department data shows for the county. Baker Correctional is now providing medical services and meals to inmates within their cells. According to the Department of Corrections, 11,000 inmates have been diagnosed and 63 inmates have died from COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. With a major increase in infections reported Friday, nearly 11,000 state prison inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 63 have died, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. An additional 1,154 inmates had tested positive in numbers released Friday, bringing the overall total to 10,975. Also, the number of inmates who had died from the virus increased from 60 on Thursday to 63 on Friday. Prisons hit hardest by the virus are Columbia Correctional Institution, which has had 1,317 inmate cases; Lowell Correctional Institution, which has had 909; Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, which has had 793; Graceville Correctional Facility, which has had 656; and Taylor Correctional Institution, which has had 561, according to the department. Also, 1,946 corrections workers had tested positive as of mid-day Friday, up from 1,911 on Thursday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Another 361 state prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19, with the inmate death toll reaching 60, according to information released Thursday by the Florida Department of Corrections. As of midday Thursday, 9,821 inmates had tested positive, up from 9,460 on Wednesday. Five prisons have had more than 500 inmate cases: Columbia Correctional Institution, Graceville Correctional Facility, Lowell Correctional Institution, Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and Taylor Correctional Institution. Of those facilities, Taylor Correctional had the largest increase Thursday, going from 453 cases to 501 cases. Also Thursday, the department reported that 1,911 corrections workers have tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida prison inmates who have died from COVID-19 increased to 59 on Wednesday, while corrections officials said they have taken additional steps to deal with outbreaks at two facilities. Meanwhile, the number of inmates who have tested positive statewide increased to 9,460 on Wednesday, up from 9,180 a day earlier, according to the Florida Department of Correction. The number of infected corrections workers increased to 1,866 on Wednesday, up from 1,810 on Tuesday. That came a day after the department made a similar announcement about addressing an outbreak at Florida Womens Reception Center, a facility in Ocala that totaled 472 inmate cases and 31 worker cases on Wednesday. Those prisons include Columbia Correctional Institution, with 1,316 inmate cases; Lowell Correctional Institution, with 853 inmate cases; Graceville Correctional Facility, with 656 inmate cases; and Taylor Correctional Institution, with 453 inmate cases, according to the department.

As of midday Monday, 8,551 inmates and 1,769 corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, officials said. The number of corrections workers known to be infected with the virus increased by 94 cases since Friday. Inch and Dixon tested positive on July 30 and are self-isolating, corrections officials said in a news release Friday night. The agency, which houses approximately 87,700 prisoners, reported Monday that an additional 425 inmates tested positive for the virus since Friday. Dozens of new inmate cases were reported at several correctional facilities, including Lowell Correctional Institution, which has 813 inmate cases; Jefferson Correctional Institution, which has 173 cases; and Northwest Florida Reception Center, with 107 cases.

As of mid-day Friday, 8,126 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus. For example, Columbia Correctional Institution near Lake City on Friday reported 1,300 inmate cases, which is roughly 60% of the facilitys prison population. Other correctional facilities that have experienced significant COVID-19 outbreaks among inmates include Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, with 740 cases; Lowell Correctional Institution, with 744 cases; and Graceville Correctional Facility, with 655 cases. As the virus continues to spread in state prisons, 1,675 of the Florida Department of Corrections roughly 24,000 employees have also tested positive. Two prisons -- South Florida Reception Center and Dade Correctional Institution -- each have more than 100 workers who tested positive for COVID-19, according to data reported by the Department of Corrections on Friday.

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. A total of 1,299 inmates at Columbia Correctional Institute have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Thursday, according to data from the Florida Department of Corrections, and dozens of staff members have tested positive as well. Its the highest number of reported cases among inmates at a Florida prison. There are a total of 2,200 inmates at the facility, meaning roughly 58% of them have tested positive. Hes just trying his best because the only PPE gear they are offering is a mask.Compared to last Thursday, 973 inmates tested positive along with 43 staff members. Apart from the 1,299 inmates that have tested positive as of Thursday, 69 staff members have as well.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Department of Health on Wednesday said a dozen inmates died from complications of COVID-19 at eight prisons within the past week. Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Lowell Correctional Institution and South Florida Reception Center each had two inmates die after testing positive for the disease. Columbia Correctional Institution, Florida Womens Reception Center, Graceville Correctional Institution and Wakulla Correctional Institution each had an inmate death. Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and Lowell Correctional Institution saw their caseloads increase by more than 100 overnight. Santa Rosa had 700 inmate cases and Lowell had 629 inmate cases as of Wednesday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of state prison inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 continued to soar Tuesday, with the total reaching 6,946, according to numbers released by the Florida Department of Corrections. The total was an increase from 6,217 inmates who had tested positive Monday. The prison with the most cases was Columbia Correctional Institution, where 1,216 inmates had tested positive. Meanwhile, 608 inmates had tested positive at Graceville Correctional Facility, 524 had tested positive at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution and 444 had tested positive at Lowell Correctional Institution, according to the department. The number of infected correctional workers also increased from 1,417 on Monday to 1,486 on Tuesday.

Hundreds of new cases have popped up at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution, Franklin Correctional Institution and Graceville Correctional Facility in recent days. Combined, the three prisons had 1,046 inmate cases on Monday. By comparison, the three prisons had 152 inmate cases on Thursday. In addition to the increases in new cases, corrections officials also reported Monday that nine additional inmates have died from complications of COVID-19. The new deaths bring the total inmate death toll to 46, including three at Columbia Correctional Institution.

As of Wednesday, 5,361 state inmates and corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19, a deadly respiratory disease that has shown itself to be efficient at moving rapidly through prisons and jails. The surge of cases in Floridas prison system has come as the state has morphed into a global hotspot for the virus. As more inmates and workers test positive, prisoners and criminal-justice reform advocates are pleading with Republican Gov. William Forrester, a Bay Correctional Facility inmate with a single lung, tested positive for COVID-19 after the Department of Corrections denied his request to be furloughed to home confinement. He is one of 240 inmates who have tested positive at the Panhandle facility, which is operated by The Geo Group, a private contractor.

In total, the state has logged 3,687 inmate cases and 1,077 employee cases. Over the past four weeks, the number of COVID-19 cases in the corrections system has more than doubled to 4,764 cases. While several prisons are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, 17 facilities in various parts of the state have recorded at least 100 inmate cases. Columbia Correctional Institution, a prison in rural North Florida, has reported 455 inmate cases, while Homestead Correctional Institution in Miami-Dade County has totaled 302 inmate cases. Five prisons -- Bay Correctional Facility, Hamilton Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution, Polk Correctional Institution and South Bay Correctional Facility -- have logged at least 200 inmate cases.

On Sunday, 30 inmates at Columbia Correctional Institution had tested positive for the deadly respiratory disease, according to a Florida Department of Corrections report. By Saturday, corrections and health officials had tested 735 inmates at Columbia, with 87 percent of test results pending. The prisons include Homestead Correctional Institution, with 302 cases; South Bay Correctional Facility, with 225 cases; Liberty Correctional Institution, with 215 cases, and Hamilton Correctional Institution, with 204 cases. In response to infection surges among workers, corrections officials have launched emergency plans at two prisons -- Dade Correctional Institution and Jefferson Correctional Institution -- to address significant staffing shortages due to COVID-19. Since the emergency plans went into effect, a few more workers have tested positive at Dade and Jefferson.

At Jefferson Correctional Institution, a smaller prison in rural North Florida, 22 workers had tested positive for the disease as of Tuesday. Over the past four weeks, an additional 561 corrections workers have tested positive for COVID-19. In total, 885 corrections workers -- including probation officers, corrections officers, nurses, food service workers, administrative staff and other personnel -- were known to have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. These may be individuals who have failed screenings, been in contact with an individual who is suspected positive or has tested positive for COVID-19 or has tested positive themselves, Glady said. He said corrections workers were already stressed and working overtime before the pandemic started.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s prison system recorded 100 new COVID-19 cases and an inmate death on Tuesday, according to figures released by the state Department of Corrections. Tuesday’s report showed an additional 29 correctional workers and 71 inmates tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. In total, the state has logged 2,514 inmate cases of COVID-19 and 651 employee cases, officials confirmed Tuesday. An inmate death also was confirmed on Tuesday, bringing the total number of inmate deaths to 26. As the virus continues to spread in prisons, officials have offered voluntary COVID-19 testing to all inmates and staff members at 13 prisons that have at least 100 inmate cases.

An additional 354 inmates and 89 correctional workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. In total, the state has logged 2,443 inmate cases and 622 employee cases, officials confirmed Monday. All but 12 of the 2,443 inmate cases are concentrated in 19 prisons in various parts of the state. Polk jumped from one confirmed inmate case on Friday to 131 inmate cases on Monday, and Graceville went from six inmate cases to 74 cases over the weekend, according to figures provided by correctional officials. As the disease continues to spread in prisons, officials have offered voluntary COVID-19 testing to all inmates and staff members at 13 prisons that have at least 100 inmate cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Two employees of contractors who work with the Florida Department of Corrections have died of complications related to COVID-19, state officials confirmed on Wednesday. FDC has not had any deaths of employees following a positive COVID-19 test result. However, FDC has been informed that two contractor employees have passed away in South Florida following positive COVID-19 test results, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Glady told The News Service of Florida in an email. It is unknown what type of work the deceased employees did for the corrections agency, and Glady would not say when the employees died. Twenty-four inmates have died of complications related to the disease as of Wednesday, according to the latest report from the corrections department.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With the number of inmate cases of COVID-19 nearing 2,000, the Florida Department of Corrections on Monday extended a ban on prison visitors through July 15. The department first imposed the visitation ban in March to try to prevent spread of the virus. It had been extended through June 28. In a news release Monday, the department said the “decision to reinstate the normal visitation schedule will be evaluated in consultation with public health experts. Also, 438 corrections workers had been infected, according to department numbers.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida prisoners who have tested positive for COVID-19 surpassed 2,000 on Tuesday, according to the state Department of Corrections. All but three of the states 2,027 total inmate cases are concentrated in 16 prisons located in various parts of the state. Four of the prisons -- Homestead Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution, Hamilton Correctional Institution and South Bay Correctional Facility -- have at least 200 inmate cases. The prisons offering facility-wide testing include Apalachee Correctional Institution, Avon Park Correctional Institution and Lancaster Correctional Institution. Twenty-four inmates have died of complications related to COVID-19, including three prisoners who died in the last week.

But information on the Florida Department of Health website said the other 19 deaths involved inmates at eight prisons. Seven of the deaths involved inmates at Blackwater Correctional Facility, while Sumter Correctional Institution had three deaths, and Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution and Union Correctional Institution each had two. Liberty Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center and South Bay Correctional Facility each had one death. In all, 1,742 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the Department of Corrections. Also, 361 corrections workers had tested positive.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of Florida inmates who have died from COVID-19 has climbed to 21, while nearly 1,800 prisoners have tested positive for the disease, the Florida Department of Corrections reported on Tuesday. It was not immediately known which prison housed the 21st inmate to die from complications of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The Florida Department of Health each Wednesday discloses the prisons where inmates have died. The most up-to-date information showed 19 inmates had died at eight prisons, including seven at Blackwater River Correctional Facility, three at Sumter Correctional Institution and two each at Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution and Union Correctional Institution. Corrections officials on Tuesday reported that 1,798 inmates and 375 corrections workers had tested positive for COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. At least 16 Florida inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been hospitalized, including four prisoners who are on ventilators, state corrections officials told The News Service of Florida on Thursday. The inmates are in the hospital because they required a significant level of treatment after contracting COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, the Florida Department of Corrections said in an email. The hospitalized inmates had been housed at prisons operated by the state, according to corrections officials. Some of the inmates who tested positive for COVID-19 who died while in custody passed away while receiving treatment at an area hospital. As of Thursday, corrections and health officials have conducted 15,458 tests on inmates, including 1,598 positive cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. An 18th Florida inmate has died from complications of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, the state Department of Corrections reported on Wednesday. The inmate, whose name was not disclosed by the department, is the third prisoner to die from COVID-19 in less than a week. The Department of Health reported that the 18 inmates have died while incarcerated at Sumter Correctional Institution, Union Correctional Institution, South Florida Reception Center, Liberty Correctional Institution, Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Blackwater River Correctional Facility and South Bay Correctional Facility. South Florida Reception Center, a prison in Doral with 31 inmate cases, is the latest facility to report an outbreak. It has recorded 26 new inmate cases and one inmate death in the past week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Two Florida inmates died from complications of COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the toll of coronavirus-related deaths in state prisons to 17, the Florida Department of Corrections reported on Sunday. The Florida Department of Health did not immediately disclose the names of the facilities where the prisoners were housed. Blackwater River Correctional Facility and South Bay Correctional Facility, two prisons operated by The Geo Group Inc., Sumter Correctional Institution, Dade Correctional Institution, Everglades Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution and Union Correctional Institution have had inmates die. As of Sunday, 1,569 inmates had tested positive for the virus, corrections officials reported. Also, 293 staff members had tested positive for the virus, with six testing positive over the weekend.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. As Floridas prison system has recorded nearly 1,900 COVID-19 cases, the Florida Department of Corrections on Monday announced it is extending a ban on visitors through June 28. Numbers released Monday showed that 1,589 inmates and 294 corrections workers across the state had tested positive for the virus. Seventeen inmates have died from complications of COVID-19, corrections officials reported. Homestead Correctional Institution has had 301 inmate cases, the most of any prison in the state. It is followed by Liberty Correctional Institution, with 212 inmate cases; Hamilton Correctional Institution, with 204 inmate cases; and South Bay Correctional Facility, with 172 inmate cases.

The health department said Everglades Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution and South Bay Correctional Facility each housed an inmate who died from complications of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. It also is unknown if the prisoners died at the prisons or at hospitals. In total, 15 prisoners have died of complications related to COVID-19. Three other inmates died at Sumter Correctional Institution. One inmate at Union Correctional Institution and another at Dade Correctional Institution also died after contracting the highly contagious virus.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Three Florida inmates died over the weekend from complications of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus, the state Department of Corrections reported on Monday. The identities of the three inmates and the prisons where they were housed were not immediately disclosed. The Florida Department of Health earlier reported that seven inmates had died at Blackwater River Correctional Facility, a prison operated by The Geo Group Inc. Three inmates had died at Sumter Correctional Institution, while one had died at Dade Correctional Institution and one had died at Union Correctional Institution. The number of prisoners who had tested positive for COVID-19 climbed to 1,529 as of Monday morning, corrections officials reported. Everglades Correctional Institution, a Miami prison with 30 inmate cases, was the latest prison to report an outbreak.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. A twelfth Florida inmate has died from complications related to COVID-19 as the number of cases among state prisoners continues to climb, the Florida Department of Corrections reported on Thursday. Seven of the inmates were at Blackwater Correctional Facility, three were at Sumter Correctional Institution, one was at Dade Correctional Institution, and one was at Union Correctional Institution. The number of state prisoners who have tested positive for COVID-19 climbed to 1,473, corrections officials reported. The vast majority of inmate cases are concentrated in 10 correctional facilities in various parts of the state, including Hamilton Correctional Institution, Homestead Correctional Institution and Liberty Correctional Institution. A potential outbreak could also be brewing at Everglades Correctional Institution, which on Thursday recorded its first six inmate cases.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With the number of COVID-19 cases in the state prison system increasing in recent weeks, the Florida Department of Corrections on Monday extended a ban on visitors through June 7. The suspension was initially imposed March 11 and was extended in April to try to prevent the spread of the deadly respiratory disease into the prison system. The cases have been largely concentrated in 10 prisons. Homestead Correctional Institution has had the most inmate cases, with 231. It is followed by Liberty Correctional Institution, with 191 inmate cases; Hamilton Correctional Institution, with 137; Tomoka Correctional Institution, with 132; Sumter Correctional Facility, with 102; Apalachee Correctional Institution, with 74; South Bay Correctional Facility, with 68; Gadsden Correctional Facility, with 67; Blackwater Correctional Facility, with 57; and Columbia Correctional Institution, with 25.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Corrections is restricting new inmate intakes for the rest of the month as the state takes steps to curb the spread of coronavirus. Yet that decision has created a new potential problem: overcrowding in the state’s jails. The corrections department is placing transfers of inmates from local jails to state prisons on hold until March 30. “People are being forced to live in even more cramped, and therefore unsanitary, conditions than typically exist in the jails,” Saleh said in a statement. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, president of the Florida Sheriffs Association, said county sheriffs will work hand-in-hand with the corrections department in an effort to eliminate those concerns.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Florida Department of Corrections education supervisor is under arrest on suspicion that he raped an inmate under his supervision at Florida State Prison in Bradford County, the agency announced Friday. Antonio Carlisle, 45, is charged with sexual battery and sexual misconduct, according to a statement released Friday by the Department of Corrections. His actions are absolutely contrary to the core values of the Florida Department of Corrections. The samples were sent off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s lab for testing. Analysis of the samples determined they were a match, according to the arrest warrant.

"The Eighth Amendment requires prison officials to provide medical treatment that avoids serious consequences, not simply treat them after a prisoner becomes dangerously ill," the brief said. The long-running legal fight centers on the use of an expensive type of medication known as "direct acting anti-virals" to treat hepatitis C, a contagious liver disease that can be fatal. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker in April ruled that the medication should be provided to all inmates with hepatitis C, prompting the state to go to the Atlanta-based appeals court. In the brief Friday, the attorneys for inmates wrote that the Department of Corrections refused to provide treatment "solely for financial reasons." The brief said experts have estimated that at least 20,000 inmates in state prisons have hepatitis C, a rate that is far higher than in the broader population.

iStock/allanswartTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Department of Corrections and researchers at Florida State University said Monday they will partner to study whether treating symptoms of trauma in incarcerated men can help reduce chances of returning to prison. To participate, the men would need to be deemed at moderate or high risk of returning to prison after release. Behind bars, the program will focus on treating the men's mental-health and substance-abuse issues through a "holistic" approach. The program will focus on helping them manage their anger, cope with trauma and find jobs and housing upon release. When participants are released from prison, they will be required to attend 10 group sessions, which will continue the treatment they received while incarcerated.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is the lead agency investigating the deaths of the inmates and the department's Office of Inspector General is assisting. Visitation was canceled Sunday at Columbia Correctional Institution. The overdoses occurred in the annex portion of the Columbia Correctional Institution, which is a separate building from the main one. According to the FDOC, 20 people have died in the Columbia Correctional Institution Annex since 2014. Columbia Correctional Institution has seen a host of problems over the years.

LAKE CITY, Fla. - Two inmates died and a third was in stable condition at a hospital Saturday after a suspected drug overdose at the Columbia Correctional Institution, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating with the assistance of the department's Office of Inspector General. "At this time our focus is on the health and swift recovery of the officers and individuals involved. The facility has been placed on lockdown, while we provide FDLE with everything they need to investigate this incident," Michelle Glady, director of communicators for the Florida Department of Corrections, said. Visitation at the Columbia Correctional Institution was canceled on Sunday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Department of Corrections this week asked a federal appeals court to overturn a ruling that requires the state to provide costly treatment to inmates who have been diagnosed with the early stages of hepatitis C.The department, represented by Attorney General Ashley Moodys office, filed a brief Monday at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, as it battles a ruling by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker that required the treatment for all inmates with the contagious liver disease. The state does not dispute that the treatment, which involves medication known as direct acting anti-virals, should be provided to inmates with later stages of hepatitis C. But attorneys contended in the brief that the state would not violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment if it did not provide the medication to prisoners in the early stages. This appeal raises the question whether the Eighth Amendment requires the Florida Department of Corrections to treat inmates with early-stage hepatitis C with a newly developed, yet expensive, course of treatment, the 37-page brief said. News Service of Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Nine months ago, Rodrick Fagiole was inside Gulf Correctional Institution when Hurricane Michael blew the roof off of the Panhandle prison. The devastation from Michael was a major blow to the states entire prison system, which has a large concentration of prisons in North Florida. With storms already brewing off of Floridas Gulf Coast, state officials say they are ready for this years hurricane season. Keppler said all state prisons have backup generators in case of power outages. Corrections officials have conducted exercises and developed contingency plans to make sure they are ready for a natural disaster, he added.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Nearly two months after the Southern Poverty Law Center sued the Florida Department of Corrections for "widely overusing" solitary confinement in state prisons, the group has added new plaintiffs to the case. The lawsuit, filed in early May, focused, in part, on five inmates who said they were put in solitary confinement for extended periods though they had been diagnosed with mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. This week, the lawsuit was amended to add two new plaintiffs, said Larry Hannan, a spokesman for the Southern Poverty Law Center. But she said solitary confinement is used only when "absolutely necessary." Also incorporated into the case was Juan Espinosa, who the Southern Poverty Law Center said has a permanent loss of voice.