TALLAHASSEE — Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones put a positive spin on negative reports about scandal, death and excessive use of force at her agency Monday as she told a Senate committee that the agency faces a “perception problem” but the obstacles are “temporary.”
Her assurances that her proposal to spend $15 million on infrastructure improvements and $16.5 million on hiring new staff will bring a “new day” for the department were greeted with skepticism by some members of the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, however.
Sen. Greg Evers, R-Crestview, the chairman of the committee, urged Jones to immediately renegotiate contracts with private companies that provide medical services to inmates. Jones previously said the companies are providing inadequate medical care.