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The jail in Pinellas County is seriously overcrowded, with cells holding double their capacity and some inmates sleeping on mats on the ground.
And the Sheriff said a law signed in 2023 by Governor Ron DeSantis is the cause.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said hundreds of inmates are sleeping on the floor.
The county is putting 4 people into cells only designed for one or two people.
“A couple weeks ago, we were pushing up around 3,300 inmates, and we had over 300 on the floor,” Gualtieri said.
Gualtieri said a state law from last year is the cause of the overcrowding.
Inmates were previously released on a promise to appear, but now are sitting in jail and waiting to post bond.
“These people are getting kind of lost in the system, and they’re sitting in there for extended periods of time of 2 or 3 months where they have very little bonds of less than $500,” he said.
DeSantis has said the measure “pushes back” against bail bond reform efforts by requiring the Supreme Court to create a uniform bail bond schedule.
And Guatlieri said it’s leading to what he calls operation issues.
“Sometimes tensions get a little high, and people get a little frustrated, and all the normal things that go with it, but we’re managing it, we’re working through it, it’s just one of those things that happens,” he said.
Gualtieri said he supports the concept of the law, but it’s a change he has to adapt to.
“Anytime you have change, and again, what I consider to be good change and positive change, you’re going to have a consequence with it, and you just have to adapt and overcome and work through it, and that’s what we’re in the process of doing,” he said.
Gualtieri said pre-trial diversion programs and electronic tracking devices are being used to try to ease the overcrowding.
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