TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's new prisons chief is promising wide-ranging changes amid the suspicious deaths of dozens of inmates in the state's prisons.
Corrections Secretary Julie Jones outlined many of the changes Tuesday during a presentation before state legislators concerned about the ongoing scandals in Florida's prisons. Dozens of prison deaths are currently investigation.
In an interview before the meeting, Jones said she will seek more than $30 million to fix the state's prisons and have enough money to fill needed positions. Jones said she has the full backing of Gov. Rick Scott to seek the extra money. Scott back in 2010 had promised to cut the state's prisons budget.
Jones also vowed to put in place new training that will help prison guards deal with increasing numbers of mentally ill prisoners.
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