THE NEED FOR A CORRECTIONAL OMBUDSMAN OFFICE
JUNE 28, 2026
Everglades Correctional Institution doesn’t appear to continue operating as an ADA Incentivized Institution. My knowledge of it began in 2022 when I returned here. I came with great expectations, which the reality of this prison eliminated. The worst reality seems to be that the circumstances are not improving. This prison no longer functions under the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere expected of an incentivized institution. My hopes and expectations for an incentivized prison, to be operated by staff members with a new mentality conductive to providing good examples of moral codes and higher academic training, have vanished. Also vanished my expectations for an incentivized prison that houses mostly prisoners with relatively sane brains, seeking to relinquish the negative thoughts and emotions whose manifestation resulted in their arrest and conviction.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
We are mostly under the custody of African American and Haitian American persons, most of which are functioning without enough academic training and prisoners rehabilitation training. The proper selection of staff members is imperative to accomplish the goals for which the prisons exist. It seems that prisons are being used to provide jobs for a specific group of persons. About 60% of the security staff members are females, some very young. Most of all the staff members rely on a significant level of aggressiveness toward us as what seems to be a required credential of their job assignment. That is not conductive to good communications and good examples of professional conduct. We are always perceived as criminal minded individuals, and our level of honesty and good will usually remain unrecognized. The idea that prisoners can never be trusted provides evidence of that fact.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
An incentivized institution cannot logically coexist as an institution that also houses mentally ill individuals, many of which require a daily dose of psychotherapy drugs. Each group requires conflicting treatment and rules. Most mentally sick individuals are not receptive to the goals and living conditions of a truly incentivized institution. Everglades Correctional Incentivized Institution is housing some psychopaths and other types of mentally disturbed prisoners, some of which are very aggressive and constantly ready to attack without provocation, just reacting to imagined offenses. They interfere with the peace and the goals of the rest of us, because the idea of a self rehabilitation opportunity is meaningless and undesirable to most of them. We have a few psychopaths here in the ADA Dorm. The proper selection of inmates for the incentivized institution requires critical evaluations of the candidate’s thought-system. That hasn’t been taking place. The good idea of separating the sane brains from the insane brains requires time, labor, experience, common sense, and knowledge.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
All incentivized prisons should provide everything that is being offered to lure inmates into requesting a transfer to one of the few available incentivized prisons, but that is not the case here. We require a relaxed and peaceable atmosphere, free from unnecessary rules devoid of a valid penological objective. We need better treatment, better food, better mattresses, better pillows, better medical treatment and air conditioner in all the dorms to address the heat. The ongoing heat waves and the ongoing deprivation of adequate medical care are subjecting the prisoners to the cruel and unusual punishment that is prohibited by the Eight Amendment to the United States Constitution.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
Our ADA dorm is very crowded, housing 64 inmates on 32 double bunks, instead of a maximum of 46 inmates, 18 on single bunks and 28 on double bunks. The 18 single bunks that belong in the ADA Dorm for the wheelchairs, are located on the second floor, being used by young and healthy inmates that do not need them. The ADA staff members are well aware of the problem, but have been ignoring their duty to provide the required solution. The only solution is to return the 18 single bunks to the ADA Dorm, but that requires undesirable work. The ADA staff stopped their required monthly inspection of the ADA Dorm several years ago.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
We have two televisions, but only one is located in the TV Room. The other one is located inside the crowded dormitory and it is being used for sports only, which generates very loud noises and interferes with our ability to sleep and rest. Also, there are no chairs available, or a place to use them even if we had them. We must remain standing up to watch the TV. The inmates in wheelchairs and walkers have a daily hard time moving around the dorm.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
The for profit private corporations Centurion of Florida LLC, that is supposed to provide adequate medical care, and Aramark LLC, that is supposed to be providing us with better food, is actually serving us inferior meals, placing their profits above our medical illnesses and nutriments requirements.
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?
Our grievance process is devoid of integrity, and thus is ineffective. About 90% of our good faith grievances are either denied, or illegally returned without action, based on false allegations. Thus, the violations are safe from the required correction.
CONCLUSION:
The Florida Department of Corrections has demonstrated, and is demonstrating, an urgent need for an independently ran Correctional Ombudsman Office, under the supervision of the Florida House of Representatives. .
Acting with all due respect and in good faith,
Francisco Fuster Escalona
www.securustech.net for communication thru e-mails.