Amid lawsuits over inmate program closure, Broward sheriff fires back at state offici

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Amid lawsuits over inmate program closure,Broward sheriff fires back @ state official
Amid lawsuits over inmate program closure, Broward sheriff fires back at state official
by Dan Sweeney
May 03, 2016

Inmates are suing Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones, who blames the Broward Sheriff's Office, while Sheriff Scott Israel says he's "really disgusted."

That's the tangled web that arose Tuesday as Broward Bridge inmates sued to stop the Department of Corrections from shutting down the prisoner re-entry program in Pompano Beach.

Jones called the Sheriff's Office's decision in February to stop transferring prisoners for the Department of Corrections a danger to public safety.

"This action, or rather inaction, has resulted in a serious public safety issue which further motivates the Department to resolve the issues surrounding the current location of our probation offices," Jones said in a statement Monday.

Israel fired back Tuesday.

"I make every decision in the best interest of public safety," Israel said. "I'm really disgusted by her comment that we are not doing things in the interest of public safety."

Israel argues that, quite the opposite, it was deputies spending so much time on prisoner transfers that was the real public safety issue.

"I cannot continue year after year, month after month, day after day to strip the city of Lauderdale Lakes by having them transport for DOC. That's abundantly unfair and unsafe for that city," Israel said.

The lawsuits, from three inmates at the Broward Bridge program, maintain that the Department of Corrections cannot unilaterally shut down the facility.

The prisoners argue that the state budget requires any prison changes be approved by leaders of the Florida Legislature and the Governor's Office of Policy and Budget.

The prisoners — Douglas Rahn, John McDougle, and Michael Brammer — are seeking a temporary injunction by the end of the week, so that they can continue taking substance abuse classes at the facility and participating in a work-release program. Otherwise, the program will be shut down so the Department of Corrections can use the facility to temporarily house probation violators, and prisoners in the Broward Bridge program will be transferred to work camps or other transitional facilities.

Broward Bridge has a recidivism rate of just 10 percent for men who complete the program, five percent for women. Almost 90 percent of inmates who go into the prisoner re-entry program complete it.

There used to be seven temporary holding facilities in Broward County to house violators until Broward Sheriff's deputies came to take them to the main jail in Fort Lauderdale. But those were all consolidated in one facility in Lauderdale Lakes last year.

The city of Lauderdale Lakes contracts with the Broward Sheriff's Office for five deputies per shift. The deputies stopped doing prisoner transfers in February, so they could spend more time patrolling.

"It's almost three hours for each pick up that they do. They have to go to the office, secure the prisoner, do the paperwork, transfer the prisoner to the main jail in Fort Lauderdale, and then go through all of the procedures there," said Terrence Lynch, an attorney in the sheriff's General Counsel office. "Last year, there were about 500 transports. That's well over 1,000 hours of deputy time where they're not patrolling."

The Sheriff's Office offered to give transport vans to the corrections department or to provide a security detail for prisoner transport, Israel said, but the Department of Corrections turned him down.

Sheriff's deputies, not corrections officers, are trained to do transports, according to the Department of Corrections.

"They transport prisoners between facilities all the time. They are probably the most experienced agency in the state to do transport, and to say they can't provide training ... it suggests that it's something they're just not going to do," Lynch said.

As for the three prisoners who are suing to keep Broward Bridge open, if they win in court, they can keep getting training at the jobs they got through the program — with We Will Transport It, a locally owned and operated transport company.

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Because if P&P starts doing transports that would require better and safer vehicles. Not to mention time away from being in the office chasing R's and O's. We are turning down vehicles being offered by our local SO which is ridiculous. The goal will always be to keep P&P in the office while other agencies are just expected to help out. Unreal

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Another example of the FDC attempting to get free work out of another agency while providing them nothing. They treat their
staff the same way but can't understand why someone else doesn't put up with their crap. Simple. They don't have to. FDC
has been ducking the issue of transporting since before Sec W. McNeil...yeah exactly. Who?! He's not important. In fact,
none of them have taken the issue seriously. Reason. Money and liability. They don't want to spend the money and they
don't trust their staff enough to train them. Any CO at a prison gets training and is expected to transport inmates by van
if called on regardless of post. These are folks with GED and HS diplomas. They want to keep Bachelor degreed PO in their offices
and let someone do their work for them. The vehicles have been offered, the training isn't that involved, and the protocol
isn't that complicated. The FDC is a big stupid dinosaur with a new seal who is too big and dumb to get out of its' own way.
It's why FDC will never be an innovative organization. It hides from real challenges.

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P&P cannot transport offenders. You are social workers. You are just like DCF. Now get back to your typing.

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Another example of the FDC attempting to get free work out of another agency while providing them nothing. They treat their
staff the same way but can't understand why someone else doesn't put up with their crap. Simple. They don't have to. FDC
has been ducking the issue of transporting since before Sec W. McNeil...yeah exactly. Who?! He's not important. In fact,
none of them have taken the issue seriously. Reason. Money and liability. They don't want to spend the money and they
don't trust their staff enough to train them. Any CO at a prison gets training and is expected to transport inmates by van
if called on regardless of post. These are folks with GED and HS diplomas. They want to keep Bachelor degreed PO in their offices
and let someone do their work for them. The vehicles have been offered, the training isn't that involved, and the protocol
isn't that complicated. The FDC is a big stupid dinosaur with a new seal who is too big and dumb to get out of its' own way.
It's why FDC will never be an innovative organization. It hides from real challenges.

Your statement is accurate. Its a question of wanting and JJ and the girls don't want to. They think spending money on a new seal and some stupid, worthless re-entry office is more important. This agency has too many desk jockeys, politicians and fat, worthless fossils who are just padding their retirement.

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What makes Broward County so special? What other county in the state do have this problem? What other sheriff's offices are refusing to respond to pick up violators?

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What makes Broward County so special? What other county in the state do have this problem? What other sheriff's offices are refusing to respond to pick up violators?

Maybe they realized they were getting sodomized by DOC first?

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For years State Probation Officers have complained about Fl DC policy of not allowing Officers to arrest Probationers (Offenders) for a Violation of Probation on the spot. Fl DC generally force the Officer to go the 'Warrant' route. This means the Offender shows up at the Office weeks or months later having an "Active VOP Warrant". Fl DC calls the Sheriffs Dept. and requests that they serve the warrant and pick up the Offender. ie: You are stalling the Offender until the SO gets there and serves the Warrant.

A simple Google search reveals who is responsible for serving the warrant........"FS 901.04 Direction and execution of warrant.—Warrants shall be directed to all sheriffs of the state. A warrant shall be executed only by the sheriff of the county in which the arrest is made unless the arrest is made in fresh pursuit, in which event it may be executed by any sheriff who is advised of the existence of the warrant. An arrest may be made on any day and at any time of the day or night......."

Probation Officers have generally believed the Offender when they Violate are thumbing their nose at the Judge.....The Felony Court Judge. It is they who issued the Probation Orders. If the SO doesn't want to bring the Offender back before the Judge the the SO is thumbing their nose not at Fl DC but the Judge. Broward Chief Judge should get some Balls.......and explain what it means not following a Court Order or Florida Statues to the SO.

We enforce the Courts Order. Now when it comes to Fla Parole Officer that is a horse of a different color. We are 'Double Dipped' with every 'Early Release Program' and all the shit we do is at the sole discretion of the Florida Commission on Offender Review and Fla DC.

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Not sure what you are smoking. But whatever it is, it is some good shit.

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P&P cannot transport offenders. You are social workers. You are just like DCF. Now get back to your typing.

Correction: NOT cannot. WILL NOT. We can, but our bosses don't want to. If high school educated COs can do it every day,
why can't we? Simple. No training. No vehicles. No equipment. How do think 100000 inmates move around the state? UBER?
COs transport them. Work squad COs drive them to landscape and pick up garbage.

We are different because Tallahassee isn't up to the challenge. They kick the can down the road and let someone else
incur the costs and manpower issues while CPO sit behind their desks.

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Not sure what you are smoking. But whatever it is, it is some good shit.

Do you arrest Offenders on the spot? Your call? Just ....INFORM the Sup.... Tell the Sup. your busy and you want them to watch the Offender until 'Transport' arrives? Name your Circuit and really get balls name your Office.

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I will do you one better. I work in Circuit Six. And we are not allowed to arrest.

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I will do you one better. I work in Circuit Six. And we are not allowed to arrest.


Thank you for your comment. In 1996 I worked in a Region 5 Office 100 miles from you. We had full discretion to arrest. Transferred to Region 4. Was absolutely dumbfounded. They did not arrest. 20 years ago. Today it has to be most all offices are not arresting. Now someone may come in a say different....I just don't believe it across the State.

Therefore, I will go back to my original post. We enforce the Probation Orders for the Court. Offenders violate the 'Courts Orders'. If the Broward SO does not want to Arrest and Transport VOP Offenders their complaint is not with us it is with the Court per Florida Statue.

Generally, its Broward's own criminals on Probation. They or the PD arrested them. The mentality of a Cop, "I will arrest and let the Judge sort it out!" Well, unfortunately with a VOP the Court hasn't finished "Sorting It Out".

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Thank you for your comment. In 1996 I worked in a Region 5 Office 100 miles from you. We had full discretion to arrest. Transferred to Region 4. Was absolutely dumbfounded. They did not arrest. 20 years ago. Today it has to be most all offices are not arresting. Now someone may come in a say different....I just don't believe it across the State.

Therefore, I will go back to my original post. We enforce the Probation Orders for the Court. Offenders violate the 'Courts Orders'. If the Broward SO does not want to Arrest and Transport VOP Offenders their complaint is not with us it is with the Court per Florida Statue.

Generally, its Broward's own criminals on Probation. They or the PD arrested them. The mentality of a Cop, "I will arrest and let the Judge sort it out!" Well, unfortunately with a VOP the Court hasn't finished "Sorting It Out".

guess again

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No other agencies have to do a dam thing for FDC. We are worse than a welfare case. We are the lowest of all state agencies.

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We had three guys from the SO who used to work 6am-2pm and would drive to any office in the county for pickups. They also would attempt warrants at the house since they started early. The sheriff shut them down.

No one has been able to answer these questions:

An offender walks in to a probation office with an active warrant and is allowed to leave because the SO or PD won't respond and probation obviously can't effect the arrest/transport. He leaves and then kills his roommate during an argument later that day. Who is liable?? The family of the victim should certainly sue. The offender never should've been allowed to walk out.

An offender walks in and tests positive for cocaine. He is a dump truck driver and has valid license. He's allowed to leave and later gets into an accident and someone is killed due to his negligence. OSHA and his employer find out he had cocaine in his system prior to the accident and that probation was aware. Who is liable for letting this offender drive the highways with drugs in his system?

Here's what would happen. In both examples , the probation officer will be blamed/disciplined/fired. The Dept will suddenly act as though it is pro-law enforcement and say that the PO failed to act to prevent the tragedies.

Document all you want. You are a sitting duck if these situations happen on your position number. One day it might happen. No one is immune.

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Pick on DCF all you want. They seem to have more power than FDC. They are across the hall from us and have a police officer in their office every day. And we cannot get one to respond for a warrant.

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That is because the Probation Department is moving toward the social worker mode. Less field, more office. Less arrest, more tech VOP's. No more warrants, more touchy feely.

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There are a number of articles that show that DC bowed to pressure and will keep the center open.

If Officers just had the Balls to fight for their just due. They might win with a united effort.

But, your just a bunch of independent......."Your Fired!"

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Sounds like this is mostly on the Sheriff. They are supposed to be transferring the violators to the jail if its in an unincorporated areajust like they would if they arrested them on the street. Reminds me of that Broward Judge that tried to order DOC to transport to the jails etc. and the higher courts shot him down with a quickness.

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We had three guys from the SO who used to work 6am-2pm and would drive to any office in the county for pickups. They also would attempt warrants at the house since they started early. The sheriff shut them down.

No one has been able to answer these questions:

An offender walks in to a probation office with an active warrant and is allowed to leave because the SO or PD won't respond and probation obviously can't effect the arrest/transport. He leaves and then kills his roommate during an argument later that day. Who is liable?? The family of the victim should certainly sue. The offender never should've been allowed to walk out.

An offender walks in and tests positive for cocaine. He is a dump truck driver and has valid license. He's allowed to leave and later gets into an accident and someone is killed due to his negligence. OSHA and his employer find out he had cocaine in his system prior to the accident and that probation was aware. Who is liable for letting this offender drive the highways with drugs in his system?

Here's what would happen. In both examples , the probation officer will be blamed/disciplined/fired. The Dept will suddenly act as though it is pro-law enforcement and say that the PO failed to act to prevent the tragedies.

Document all you want. You are a sitting duck if these situations happen on your position number. One day it might happen. No one is immune.


Depends on the situation as there is a very high bar to win a suit like that once it gets to an appeal court scrutiny which most will if it isn't something that the news is running with for an agenda like that Baltimore stuff.

I know that lawsuit over not baker acting and holding the crazy lady ended up not being successful. As far as a hypothetical drug test case it would probably depend if they were clearly under the influence in the office and you knew they were driving when they left. The metabolites are in your urine for days after use. If they killed someone a blood test would probably be done showing what was actually directly affecting them at the time of the accident.

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FLORIDA STATUE: 901.04 Direction and execution of warrant.—Warrants shall be directed to all sheriffs of the state. A warrant shall be executed only by the sheriff of the county in which the arrest is made unless the arrest is made in fresh pursuit, in which event it may be executed by any sheriff who is advised of the existence of the warrant. An arrest may be made on any day and at any time of the day or night.
History.—s. 4, ch. 19554, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 8663(4); s. 6, ch. 70-339; s. 34, ch. 73-334.

Again, the Sheriff is sworn and elected to follow Florida Statue and the Courts direction. He employees Deputy Sheriffs who acts under his umbrella. If the Broward Sheriff refuses to follow Florida Statue then.....The Head Administrative Judge of Broward should hold the Sheriff in "Contempt of Court".

The Tampa Bay Tribune has just done extensive Reporting in that Law Enforcement are spending including the entire Bay area an inordinate amount of time responding to Walmarts. Someone steals "Panty hose" and is being held. They get service. I bet the same thing could be said for Broward.

Does the Broward Sheriff want to arrest a "Panty Hose Thief" or a "Sex Offender" with an "Active Felony Warrant".

Miami-Dade and Broward........Third World Country. Habla...............Not English???

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FLORIDA STATUE: 901.04 Direction and execution of warrant.—Warrants shall be directed to all sheriffs of the state. A warrant shall be executed only by the sheriff of the county in which the arrest is made unless the arrest is made in fresh pursuit, in which event it may be executed by any sheriff who is advised of the existence of the warrant. An arrest may be made on any day and at any time of the day or night.
History.—s. 4, ch. 19554, 1939; CGL 1940 Supp. 8663(4); s. 6, ch. 70-339; s. 34, ch. 73-334.

Again, the Sheriff is sworn and elected to follow Florida Statue and the Courts direction. He employees Deputy Sheriffs who acts under his umbrella. If the Broward Sheriff refuses to follow Florida Statue then.....The Head Administrative Judge of Broward should hold the Sheriff in "Contempt of Court".

The Tampa Bay Tribune has just done extensive Reporting in that Law Enforcement are spending including the entire Bay area an inordinate amount of time responding to Walmarts. Someone steals "Panty hose" and is being held. They get service. I bet the same thing could be said for Broward.

Does the Broward Sheriff want to arrest a "Panty Hose Thief" or a "Sex Offender" with an "Active Felony Warrant".

Miami-Dade and Broward........Third World Country. Habla...............Not English???


Who is the Sheriff?

Sheriff Scott Israel

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel was elected sheriff in 2012 after 30 years in law enforcement. He began his career with the Fort Lauderdale Police Department as a road patrol officer and worked undercover in the narcotics division. He was promoted to captain and retired as the Community Policing Special Operations/SWAT Commander. Sheriff Israel then served as the City of North Bay Village Police Chief before becoming sheriff. He was also a high school football coach and a past recipient of the prestigious "Brian Piccolo Coach of the Year Award" for his life's work in Broward County youth athletics.

As our sheriff, Scott Israel has successfully implemented new policies and approaches to public safety that have sharply reduced violent crime and burglary rates. The sheriff’s innovative initiatives have also helped keep children in school and out of jail. He has worked to combat gun violence and diversified the agency at all levels to better reflect our community. Impressively, in 2014, BSO won the prestigious civil rights award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for the homeless outreach program which helps direct our homeless population to the services they need.

Sheriff Israel also stands out in the law enforcement community for his vocal support for tougher gun control laws and the need to equip all uniformed deputies with body cameras.

With this impressive record, it is no surprise Sheriff Israel is often called Florida’s most progressive and successful sheriff. Broward County is truly safer and more united as a result of his dynamic leader

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progressive means pro criminal usually