Terms Used In Florida Statutes 944.0231

  • Correctional system: means all prisons and other state correctional institutions now existing or hereafter created under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections. See Florida Statutes 944.02
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Prisoner: means any person who is under civil or criminal arrest and in the lawful custody of any law enforcement official, or any person committed to or detained in any municipal or county jail or state prison, prison farm, or penitentiary, or to the custody of the department pursuant to lawful authority. See Florida Statutes 944.02
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Corrections. See Florida Statutes 944.02

(1) When the population of the state correctional system exceeds 100 percent of its total capacity, as defined in s. 944.023, and remains in excess of 100 percent of total capacity for 21 days, the Governor, pursuant to s. 252.36, may use his or her emergency powers to reduce the population of the state correctional system as follows: The Governor shall inform any federal jurisdiction which has a concurrent or consecutive sentence or any active detainer placed on any prisoner in the state correctional system of his or her intention to transfer custody to that jurisdiction within 30 days. No prisoner shall be so transferred who is convicted of a capital felony in this state nor shall any transfer take place to any county or municipal jurisdiction within the state.
(2) When the inmate population of the state correctional system is projected, based upon the last criminal justice estimating conference, to exceed the total capacity, as defined in s. 944.023, the secretary shall develop a plan to address the projected bed-capacity deficiency. This plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives at least 30 days prior to the projected bed-capacity deficit occurring.