Video by Al Diaz/Miami Herald Staff
I have made statements recently
that bear no resemblance to reality. By saying, "the Department will build
upon the existing training and resources staff has received to help them
recognize mental illness," I gave the impression we already had systems in
place. The truth is that we have no trainings for officers in how to deal with
the mentally ill. While it's our policy "to de-escalate incidents without
force being necessary," the reality, as you have reported, is something
all together different. I vow to change these deficiencies.
I have said before that "there
is not a culture of cover-up and corruption” in the DOC. I know you all don't
believe it, and me repeating it endlessly won't make it so. To be clear, the DOC
has engaged in a systematic cover-up of deaths in prisons around the state. The
department has stalled investigations hoping they would go away. In denying access
to documents or redacting them into useless gibberish, we blocked, stonewalled,
and made flimsy excuses based on vague agency rules. The DOC likewise attempted
to shuffle inmates around the state in a fruitless effort to keep them from
you, the media. Again, I deeply apologize.
My predecessor, Joseph
McDonough, was absolutely correct when he maintained that "virtually every
part of the agency was tainted in some form." When he pointed to me and
asked, "where has the leadership been?” I must admit that stung deeply.
But he was on the money once again.
When I said that the “integrity
and trust of my department is at question, and we must do more to ensure
facilities are safe,” I meant it sincerely, now more than ever in light of
recent revelations. Likewise, the statement, "We take any untimely death
of an inmate very seriously," is one I now endorse earnestly and wholeheartedly.
Inspector General Beasley said, "Transparency and accountability are
critical to our mission." All these statements must have sounded like
hollow dime-store sound bites considering the department was dodging every
single request from the media. However, I do believe the sentiment holds true.
So that the good people of Florida
don't shake their heads once more saying, "All talk and no action," I
want to tell you about measurable actions I am taking now.
I am not going to give you
any excuse for why it took so long for me to respond to the deaths of numerous
inmates these last couple of years. By way of explanation, I delegated tasks to
my subordinates that I should of handled myself. It is my self-imposed duty to
personally oversee, initiate, and follow through on all investigations of
inmate deaths whether they are suspicious or not.
I want to apologize to
investigators Aubrey P. Land, David Clark, Doug Glisson, and John Ulm for all
the grief this department heaped on them for simply doing their jobs. All
of Lands' assertions in the Jordan-Aparo death were disturbing, yet completely
true. It doesn't take a genius to figure out, that when guards repeatedly
gassed a man until he couldn't breath and died, the guards killed him. The
action I have taken is to fire the captain who gassed Jordan-Aparo and all of
the COs under his command.
Anybody with a modicum of
intelligence knows, that when six or seven guards do a cell extraction of one
inmate and he ends up dead, the guards obviously beat him to death. I fired all
the guards implicated in the two most recent deaths at Charlotte Correctional
Institution.
These men did not
mysteriously kill themselves - they were helped along by correctional officers.
Again, it doesn't take a genius to figure out, that when guards put a man in a
scalding hot shower and he died, the guards killed him. With that in mind I
have fired all of the officers at Dade CI who were on the 4 to 12 shift that
Saturday night, June 23rd, 2012.
I have asked Governor Scott
to convene an emergency task force to temporarily assume certain duties the DOC
has been unable to execute properly considering this organization is riddled
with amoral, sadistic, sociopaths and the people who enable and support them.
This independent task force will be given the authority to:
1. Conduct
investigations into any and all claims of abuse as described by inmates,
medical and mental health staff, clergy, and even guards themselves, while
maintaining the confidentiality of these whistle-blowers. Onsite investigators
will be charged with cataloguing Incident Reports, Inmate Grievances, and any other
documentation of abusive behavior of guards and their cover-ups. All witnesses will
immediately be interviewed. Ideally, this task force would be given the power
to make arrests when warranted.
2. Collect and process
all inmate grievances. This will prevent unscrupulous guards from hijacking the
grievance process to cover their horrific behavior.
3. Install,
maintain, and monitor all cameras. Replace all outdated cameras and
recording devices with High Definition or HD equipment. We need the latest
technology to catch these guards in the act. I want every blind spot covered.
4. Collect, disseminate, and distribute all incoming
and outgoing mail. As it stands now, it has come to my attention that regular
mail, and indeed legal mail, is routinely intercepted and destroyed by guards
aiming to eliminate honest scrutiny of their contemptible practices.
These are just a few of the
immediate actions I have undertaken to build a trustful relationship with all
the citizens of Florida.
They should expect no less. In the coming months, as I uncover more evidence of
DOC failings, I will report tangible results to Floridians through media
outlets. We cannot have one set of laws for corrections officers and one set
for the rest of us.
In assessing my own
behavior, I can honestly say I should be fired. I stand before you now, contrite
and humbled. I'm asking for a second chance. I can now look in the mirror and
see a man who has regained his integrity and moral bearing. I am determined to
leave a legacy of transparency, honesty, and long lasting change. Please give
me another chance - you will not regret it.
