'08 May Be Gr8

You have to love this new proposed private jail with the lobbyist thugs in charge. The company proposing this is called CiviGenics (formerly run by Correctional Services Corporation)

Here's there rap sheet http://www.privateci.org/rap_civigenics.html

Thrasher keeps good company with his friends. I think the inmates are again running the asylum.

Thrasher has no reputation to protect after all he was a Vietnam Veteran and he don't care what anybody says about him.

I think he may have lingering issues and would explain his abhorrent behavoirs against society.

Just what we need 500 or more State Inmates dropped off in the county. Just like they drop them out on Green Cove Springs when they need room. Well I guess it is considered industry in Clay County. Where the biggest downtown attraction we have is a new Courthouse. Some how the Chamber will want credit for this as well.

I beg for change in the upcoming elections.

Lily, there is a fee to qualify for getting your name placed on the ballot.  In my district, where I'm running in the GOP primary, it's about $2,500 and - get this - it goes directly to the local Republican Party.

Alas, I've chosen Plan B to get my name on the ballot.  It requires gaining the required number of signatures of registered voters from my district on petitions to allow my name to appear.  I'm in the process now.  Not sure about the number needed for District 5, but I only need 191 for District 3.

Eventually, I'll have to pay the Supervisor of Elections 10 cents to verify each petition, but I'd rather give Mrs. Kirkman $19.10 than the local GOP folks $2,500 any day of the week.

Michael S. Mann

I'm stunned. Twenty-five hundred dollars to run? Who do they think they are? I thought this was once the land Of The Free.  And after quitting the Republican Party almost 8 years ago, there is no way I will fork over 25 dollars let alone 2500 dollars to those bozos. Maybe I should try to do everything by blog. It would make an interesting side story. Can someone win an election with out spending one red cent? It would have to be the most intensive write in campaign ever. I will continue thinking about this. I still have an identity to protect. I don't need any harrassment such as RichK has endured. It's not that I fear it, I would just be very irate if I got a crank call that interrupted my watching "House".  ;>)

Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman

Check with the supervisor of elections-the fee does NOT go to any particular party Logically, what would you do with the fees for a non-partisian like the school board? At least that is what I was told when I was asked to sign a petition for one of the sheriff's candidates.

If I understand it correctly, the fees go directly tot he state of Florida.  And there are some whoppers out there.  An election like the seat Harry Shorestien is leaving is almost 13K fee as it was relayed to me.

Clueless, it was from the Supervisor of Elections Office (when I picked up my candidate package of information) where I got the information.  But I'll double-check next time I'm there.  Perhaps I misunderstood as it was explained.

I thought it was just similar to Stephen Colbert's presidential primary bid in South Carolina.  To run as a Republican cost 25K, so Colbert opted for the less expensive Democratic spot on the ballot.  Colbert didn't make the Dems' final cut either, but at least he got his money back.

Michael S. Mann

  99.095  Petition process in lieu of a qualifying fee and party assessment.-- (1)  A person who seeks to qualify as a candidate for any office and who meets the petition requirements of this section is not required to pay the qualifying fee or party assessment required by this chapter.

(2)(a)  Except as provided in paragraph (b), a candidate must obtain the number of signatures of voters in the geographical area represented by the office sought equal to at least 1 percent of the total number of registered voters of that geographical area, as shown by the compilation by the department for the immediately preceding general election. Signatures may not be obtained until the candidate has filed the appointment of campaign treasurer and designation of campaign depository pursuant to s. 106.021. (b)  A candidate for a special district office shall obtain 25 signatures of voters in the geographical area represented by the office sought. (c)  The format of the petition shall be prescribed by the division and shall be used by candidates to reproduce petitions for circulation. If the candidate is running for an office that requires a group or district designation, the petition must indicate that designation and, if it does not, the signatures are not valid. A separate petition is required for each candidate.

(3)  Each petition must be submitted before noon of the 28th day preceding the first day of the qualifying period for the office sought to the supervisor of elections of the county in which such petition was circulated. Each supervisor shall check the signatures on the petitions to verify their status as voters in the county, district, or other geographical area represented by the office sought. No later than the 7th day before the first day of the qualifying period, the supervisor shall certify the number of valid signatures.

(4)(a)  Certifications for candidates for federal, state, multicounty district, or multicounty special district office shall be submitted to the division no later than the 7th day before the first day of the qualifying period for the office sought. The division shall determine whether the required number of signatures has been obtained and shall notify the candidate. (b)  For candidates for county, district, or special district office not covered by paragraph (a), the supervisor shall determine whether the required number of signatures has been obtained and shall notify the candidate.

(5)  If the required number of signatures has been obtained, the candidate is eligible to qualify pursuant to s. 99.061.  

This proposal by Sheriff Beseler and his lobbyist friends are a prime example of why a 4 year term is more time than any of these individuals need to be in office.

This idea to privatize jails comes from the backing of Thrasher as a lobbyist. Back in 2003, Steve MacNamara, who found power and notoriety as a top aide to former House Speaker John Thrasher, got a new job at Florida State University, thanks partly to Thrasher, chairman of the FSU board of trustees.

MacNamara one of four associate vice presidents for academic affairs, earning $140,000 a year in the administration of FSU president T.K. Wetherell. That's more than twice as much as MacNamara made as a tenured FSU communications professor.

MacNamara continued to teach and advise students and keep his tenure, but he was required to sever all ties with outside lobbying clients.

"It was my idea," Wetherell said of MacNamara's hiring. Asked whether Thrasher used any influence, Wetherell grinned and said: "That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."

Thrasher, a prominent Tallahassee lobbyist, said he promoted MacNamara for the job, but added that his former chief of staff was highly qualified through ability and experience.

"I'm a big fan of Steve's, and I think he'll do a good job," Thrasher said. "He's certainly got the qualifications. What's wrong with that?"

In his new position, MacNamara will oversee contracts between FSU and state government, including the departments of Health, Children and Families, Environmental Protection, and Corrections.

Wetherell, also a former House speaker, wants to expand FSU's work with state government. He cited the FSU medical school's interest in the privatization of health care in the prison system. Wetherell said that venture is worth up to $350-million.

Corrections Secretary James Crosby said further privatization of prison health care is a priority, and that he would consider FSU's proposals.

In case you are not familiar Corrections Secretary James Crosby  along with Allen Clark who are presently serving time in Federal Prison for taking kickbacks as part of an investigation of prison contracts with private companies. Along with a steroid investigation that was conducted concerning prison guards that was discovered coming out of Clay County.

The Commission on Ethics conducted a two-year investigation by dismissing a charge that MacNamara abused his public position by lobbying for a private client, Suwannee American Cement Co., while working in Thrasher's office. A permit for the plant, initially denied, was approved a year after MacNamara met with key officials.

Thrasher's other friend coming to the County to pitch this insane idea was also charged with ethics violations of accepting hunting trips to influence his votes in his official capacity.

Per the record:

On July 22, 1992, pursuant to its Report of Investigation, the State of Florida Commission on Ethics issued an order finding probable cause to believe that Respondent, Frank Messersmith, violated Section 112.313(4), Florida Statutes, by accepting an all-expense paid hunting trip in November 1987 to Riverview Plantation in Camilla, Georgia, when he knew or should have known that the trip was given to influence his official actions, and to believe that the Respondent violated Section 112.313(4), Florida Statutes, by accepting an all-expense paid hunting trip in November 1988 to Riverview Plantation in Camilla, Georgia, when he knew or should have known that the trip was given to influence his official actions. 

The present Dept of Correction Secretary McDonough
After making a dramatic decision not to award a $707 million contract for prison health care,'' McDonough stunned the private prison-health-care industry late last week when he announced that the department was rejecting Tennessee-based Prison Health Services' latest bid to continue the work. PHS has a troubled history with the department, one that began earlier this year when it announced it was pulling out of a 10-year contract it originally signed in 2005 because its $645 million bid did not anticipate the cost of hospitalizing sick inmates.

I guess they have desended on the counties now. Plagued with problems and corruption this is just what we need in Clay County.

I think Thrasher needs some new friends.

This is an insane idea.

Prison-for profit is a bad idea no matter how you look at the matter. The bottom line is huge profits for the shareholders. The taxpayers still carry a big load of the cost. 

I would note for those working in the Clay County Jail presently. You may need to be watching out for your job. Can we say impasse?

Beseler and a Thrasher campaign contribution that should speak for itself.

This is not a cost saving measure by no means. If the county wanted to make a real difference make it through programs before these people are sent to prison. With the new 27 million Courthouse you should have plenty of room to implement programs such as the drug court program. Of the 225 people who went through the program 200 of them became productive citizens working and paying taxes and out of the prison system.

I think this is a very important matter and I think the taxpayers of Clay County need to get both sides of this issue. So I will continue to blog about this matter because I am certain the Sheriff will tell us how great this is for Clay County. 

With the appearance of Beseler in front of the Commissioners announcing his 1.1 million dollar return of his money and asking that money be used to purchase 75 acres of land for a prison farm, driving range, and firing range which he presented by his wish list.

Now comes the lobbyist thugs to our county with this proposal to build a for profit prison. 

This was just discussed in Baker County where the citizens showed up at the meeting in force to express their concerns about this matter. Article link provided below

http://www.bakercountypress.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=887&Itemid=2

It look like the prison industry has descended in Baker County as well.

While prison expansion was initially driven by crowding, it has become clear that in many states the primary motive is now the creation of jobs and profits. The beneficiaries include construction companies, economically depressed rural towns seeking prison jobs, financial institutions that underwrite prison bonds, long-distance carriers, private prison operators and companies that provide contracted services to prisons.

Prison profit raises two concerns. The first is that those who profit from prisons will try to exploit the ultimate "captive market" by enriching themselves at the expense of prisoners and their families, usually by providing inadequate services and/or charging inflated prices. The second, and even more serious, concern is that those who profit from prisons will attempt to influence criminal justice policy in order to guarantee a steady flow of prisoners and profits.

Unfortunately, there is ample evidence that both of these scenarios are taking place. Telephone companies routinely gouge prisoners’ families for collect calls; prisoners sicken and die so private health-care providers can improve their bottom-line; small-town sheriffs overbuild local jails and then lobby for lucrative INS contracts.

I do think that it is noteworthy that if problems arise with the prison-for-profits in our county. The taxpayers would have to buy this facility from the private industry for us to maintain.

The taxpayers need to consider what the the ramifications of these decisions will have on our community. If housing State and Federal prisoners for profit is the direction we want our county to go in and/or what we want for our county. I am for job creations but I have serious concerns with this coming to our county for many reasons.

These companies have histories and just changing your name doesn't change the bottom line.

The former head of the now-defunct Correctional Privatization Commission pleaded guilty to charges of stealing more than $200,000.

In an audit it showed the state overpaid private prison operators nearly $13 million to pay for, among other things, jobs that were unfilled.

Not to mention the head of the DOC is now serving time in Federal Prison for illegal kickbacks from prison contracts.

I would suggest you contact your Commissioner if you have concerned as a taxpayer as well.

The privatization of the prison-for-profits has a very long history with the State of Florida which has had such a chokehold on state government and now wants that same chokehold on local governments. Armed with lobbyist, an editorial that was written back in 2004 is provided in the link below.

The former head of the now-defunct Correctional Privatization Commission pleaded guilty to charges of stealing more than $200,000.

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/01/Opinion/Privatization_nightma.shtml

Good Morning Angela,

This blog site is the first place I have seen where the Sheriff, or any other County official, is advocating privatizing Clay County jails.  Is this a fact, or supposition?

I did hear about the talk of needing a new, larger jail, but not of it being a privately run facility.

Thank you for any other information you can provide regarding this matter, preferably in a seperate blog (by you or anyone else), just to keep comments in one place.

I personally would be opposed to having a private company manage our inmates.  The link you provided says it all.  Profiting from management of criminals - obviously a government (non-profit) function - has possible corruption written all over it.  Not that corruption cannot happen in the government (duh), but adding a profit motive, to me, is highly irresponsible.

I recognize that an argument can be made that government IS a for-profit organization by virtue of ever increasing size, but at least citizens have a right to free and unhindered access to government financial records.  Not so with private companies.

Thanks.

Public Records (those records that are near and dear to my heart)

From: frark@aol.com [mailto:frark@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2007 2:13 PM
To: mscott@sheriffleefl.org; Sheriff Beseler
Subject: Frank Messersmith- Inquiry Regarding Private prison facility for short term prisoners

Sheriff:

I have been approached by representatives of a company called CEC/CiviGenics to see if you think it would be politically possible to locate in your County, a 432 bed minimum security work camp. 

The Florida Legislature last session appropriated funding for three (3) privately run 432 bed minimum custody short term inmates. The Legislature is trying to find an effective solution for reducing recidivism among the short term, "year and a day" offenders who are ending up in state facilities. The camps will provide vocational training and substance abuse treatment as well. They need about 5-10 acres that can be zoned accordingly.

The Dept of Management Services has picked three areas for the camps; Polk and Clay Counties and SW Florida (Lee, Collier or Charlotte). This Company has met with Sheriff Grady Judd in Polk County and they supposedly have developed a lease partnership adjacent to a new jail he plans to build. The Company now seeks to explore whether or not similar opportunities exist in Clay, Lee, Collier or Charlotte Counties.

 If you think this is something that would be good for your operation to have locally, and that it can be accomplished politically, please let me know and I will be glad to arrange a meeting between you and the Company.

Thanks.

Frank Messersmith

850 508-5858

Frank,  I have spoken to our county manager, Fritz Behring, and copied him with this E mail.  We would be happy to meet with these folks along with our zoning people etc. to listen to their proposal.  If you could have them contact me I will set up a meeting time when everyone can attend.  Thanks, Rick Beseler

Private jails are a disaster. Way too many Sheriff’s and BCC’s have had to take back their jail after it was privatized due to in-house corruption, escapes, and poor care of inmates, and a host of too many other problems to list.  The citizens whose family member ends up in the jail have no one to hold accountable when they have complaints about the jail. If the Sheriff has control of the jail he is held accountable by the voters. For a while there was a trend to turn jails back to the county commission around the state. Sheriff’s wanted to unload the burden as for cost and law suites that stem out of the jail. The jail generates the most civil law suites.

While privitization is basically a good idea, along with it comes several problems that may or may not be worth the cost savings.

1)  Corrections officers will not take part in the Florida Retirement System, in the high risk category.  That is a substantial saving, considering the county pays for their retirment completely.

2)  Corrections officers will be contracted hourly employees.  The current pay for private security officers is less than what a county employee would make

3)  The sheriff and his administration get out of the jail business.  Jailing an individual is an expensive process, and of course this cost is passed on in to the taxpayers.

Three good reasons to privatize, all monetary.

Now, let's look at the down side of the deal.

1) The caliber of the private employees could substantially reduce security in the jail.  Would you want one of the mall security guys in charge of prisoners.  The county would in all reality still be held responsible for the safety of the inmates.  So, if something happens in the jail, and a lawsuit is filed, the county won't be off the hook.

2) What about the current corrections officers?  Will they stay with the private company knowing that their state retirement is forfeited?  Road deputies most always get their initial training by working in the jail.  Will the private employees have the same opportunity?  Many deputies got their foot in the door by serving as a corrections officer.

3) The jail business has been a money loser since its inception hundreds of years ago. Would the private company handle all the booking and paperwork necessary to present an individual in a courtroom?

I suspect a contract could be written to provide a "turnkey" jail.  What would we do with the current jail?  Who would construct the new jail in Clay that we will eventually need?  Who will own the jail?  We could conceivably end up buying from a company a jail that we helped to pay for, if the contract was not renewed.  The last thing, why change anything if the sheriff can hand back to the commissioners over a million dollars? Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining that our sheriff is a good steward of taxpayers money.

This idea just bears a lot of thought before we jump in both feet first.  Something that Clay has done too many times in the not too distant past.

Florida has won the Hall of Shame award when it comes to the privatization of its prison system. Exactly what Magnumforce speaks about.

Islander the county owns the land the companies own the buildings they build and supply the services. We would have to buy this back if things did not work out.

CEC/CiviGenics has just merged with the big money people.

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070613005140&newsLang=en

Sounds good doesn't it.

A link to articles that have been compiled concerning Florida and the private jail industry that Magnumforce talks about.

http://www.privateci.org/florida.htm

You have the information as taxpayers now you decide because its our money.

The current jail would still be maintained as a pretrial detention facility. First appearance can still have a bond hearing via closed circuit television as they currently have. Inmates that have not been sentenced probably would be held at the pretrial center so that they can make court appearances with their attorney and participate in their defense and face their accusers. Transporting inmates awaiting trial can prove to be hazardous as we have seen in Broward County recently. Glad you took the time to lay out of the pro’s and con’s.

A link to yet another travesty of justice in Florida and the prison-for-profit debacle. Our county manager comes from Deltona which is in Volusia County and has knowledge about this system.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD05121107.htm

These prison-for-profit companies see local governments who struggle financially to provide even the basic services and pounce on those communities. Another results of corruption and poor management of the taxpayers money that continue to haunt the citizens.

As you can see from the link the counties are not immune from lawsuits that stem from the prison-for-profit groups which are many.