3,075 have signed. Let’s get to 5,000! The next step is contacting our elected officials. We will be having mid-term elections on November 2018 which means that many are up for re-election and they will need our support. We must let them know that if they want our support we need them to step up and pass this Gain Time bill. I have looked up some key points to support our request. The death rate is going up Healthcare is practically nonexistent T They are basically poisoning the inmates with the food that they are being given. On top of that after they have served their time they are not allowed to. We are their voices. Let their voices be heard; call your Senator. I will be posting the names and phone numbers of the Representatives soon. Quick Facts On November 30, 2017, the Florida Department of Corrections housed 96,639 inmates in its 148 correctional facilities. Florida’s “sentence lengths have increased by 22 percent and the amount of time served on those sentences have also increased.” Death Rate: Inmates in Florida is increasing 2013 305 2014 346 2015 354 2016 356 2017 428 2018 144 Healthcare: Rick Scott Privatized Prison Healthcare Gov. Rick Scott said cost of healthcare in the prison would be reduce by $1 million. This plan was made with the help of Columbia/HCA hospital co-founder where Rick Scott was CEO. This is the company that under Rick Scott defrauded Medicare of millions. They now have handed the care of over 100,000 of Florida’s inmate to private companies. What is the cost of healthcare? 2014-2015 the cost was $286 million 2016 the cost went up to $300 million 2017 cost went up again to $329 million 2018-2019t the cost is going up to $368 million for What are the inmates getting? They must pay a Co-pay of $5.00 to receive bad care. They get paid $0.00 per hour for running the prison; cooking, cleaning, ground maintenance etc.… This $5.00 copay is taking from the money that we the family give them. We make a huge sacrifice to put money into their accounts so they can eat and buy what they need and we also must pay for the terrible care that they are getting. Hepatitis C epidemic: about 20,000 of the state's 98,000 inmates might be infected with Hepatitis C. Only 13 have received since 2013 and only after they filed a lawsuit where they treated. On November 17, 2017 Federal Judge Mark Walker said that this was a “deliberately indifferent” to the medical needs of inmates, a violation of their constitutional rights. Food Prison diet consist mainly of TVP or Textured Vegetable Proteins. They contain food dyes emulsifier, preservatives or artificial flavoring. The type of food dyes used in TVP have been banned in Europe. Phosphate salts, often used as emulsifiers are harmful to the kidneys. Nitrites used in imitation meat products can cause malignant tumors. Part of the process to make the TVP is the use of HEXANE which is a major component of gasoline. Call 580-717-3967 and complain about the food services. They are aware of the problem and have stated that are working to provide real meat products. Voting Rights Restoration Of the 50 States and 16 territories only 4 states permanently disenfranchise convicted felons. Florida, Kentucky and Iowa have lifetime bars and Virginia’s governor has promised to restore the voting rights. In 2011 Gov. Rick Scott put in place the most restrictive clemency rules ever. After 5 years in office Rick Scott has restored the voting rights of about 2,000 felons statewide. There are more than 20,000 applications that have not been processed. In 2016 there are an estimated 1,686,000 people unable to have their voice heard. Past Developments In 2007 Gov. Charlie Crist granted automatic voting restoration for certain felony convictions and by 2008 over 115,000 Floridians had regained their voting rights. In 2011 Gov. Scott eliminated the reforms that Gov. Crist had put in place. On March 27, 2018 A federal judge declared Florida’s process for restoring voting rights to convicted felons unconstitutional and tainted by racial, religious or political bias; "In Florida, elected, partisan officials have extraordinary authority to grant or withhold the right to vote from hundreds of thousands of people without any constraints, guidelines or standards," Gov. Scott a Republican is fighting the judge’s ruling and on April 25, 2018 a three-judge panel of the Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta issued a stay order on Judge Mark Walker ruling. Baxley, Dennis Republican Sumter & parts of Lake, Marion (352)750- Bean, Aaron Republican Nassau & part of Duval (904) 757-5039 Lizbeth Benacquisto Republican part of Lee county (239) 338-2570 Berman, Lori Democrat part of Palm Beach county (561) 292-6014 Book, Lauren Democrat part of Broward county (954) 424-6674 Bracy, Randolph Democrat part of Orange county (407) 656-6716 Bradley, Rob Republican Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, Union & part of Marion (904) 278-2085 Brandes, Jeff Republican part of Pinellas (727) 563-2100 Braynon, Oscar II Democrat parts of Broward, Miami-Dade (305) 654-7150 Broxson, Doug Republican Escambia, Santa Rosa & part of Okaloosa (850) 595-1036 Campbell, Daphne Democrat part of Miami-Dade (305) 493-6009 Farmer, Gary M., Jr. Democrat part of Broward (954) 467-4227 Flores, Anitere Republican Monroe & part of Miami-Dade (305) 222-4117 Gainer, George B. Republican Bay, Holmes, Jackson, Walton, Washington & part of Okaloosa (850) 747-5454 Galvano, Bill Republican Manatee & part of Hillsborough (941) 741-3401 Garcia, Rene Republican part of Miami-Dade (305) 364-3100 Gibson, Audrey Democrat part of Duval (904) 359-2553 Grimsley, Denise Republican DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee & parts of Charlotte, Lee, Polk (863) 465-2626 Hukill, Dorothy L. Republican parts of Brevard & Volusia (386) 304-7630 Hutson, Travis Republican Flagler, St. Johns & part of Volusia (386) 446-7610 Lee, Tom Republican parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk (813) 653-7061 Mayfield, Debbie Republican Indian River & part of Brevard (321) 409-2025 Montford, Bill Democrat Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Hamilton, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Wakulla (850) 487-5003 Negron, Joe Republican Martin, St. Lucie & part of Palm Beach (772) 219-1665 Passidomo, Kathleen Republican Collier, Hendry & part of Lee (239) 417-6205 Perry, Keith Republican Alachua, Putnam & part of Marion (352) 264-4040 Powell, Bobby Democrat part of Palm Beach (561) 650-6880 Rader, Kevin J. Democrat parts of Broward & Palm Beach (561) 443-8170 Rodriguez, Jose Javier Democrat part of Miami-Dade (305) 854-0365 Rouson, Darryl Ervin Democrat parts of Hillsborough & Pinellas (727) 822-6828 Simmons, David Republican Seminole & part of Volusia (407) 262-7578 Simpson, Wilton Republican Citrus, Hernando & part of Pasco (352) 540-6074 Stargel, Kelli Republican parts of Lake & Polk (863) 668-3028 Steube, Greg Republican Sarasota & part of Charlotte (941) 342-9162 Stewart, Linda Democrat part of Orange (407) 893-2422 Taddeo, Annette Democrat part of Miami-Dade (305) 596-3003 Thurston, Perry E., Jr. Democrat part of Broward (954) 321-2705 Torres, Victor M., Jr. Democrat Osceola & part of Orange (407) 846-5187 Young, Dana D. Republican part of Hillsborough county (813) 281-5507 VACANT 16 parts of Pasco & Pinellas (727) 793-2797