Attorney's Note

Under the Florida Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Felony of the second degreeup to 15 yearsup to $10,000
For details, see Fla. Stat. § 775.082(3)(d)

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 944.44

  • Department: means 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.
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • 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
Any prisoner who holds as hostage any person within any correctional institution or anywhere while under the jurisdiction of the department, or who by force, or threat of force holds any person or persons against their will in defiance of official orders, shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.