Florida Inmate’s Death in Transit Sees 10 Prison Guards Placed on Leave, One Resign

A Florida inmate’s death while in a prison transit vehicle has led to 10 corrections officers placed on leave and one submitting their resignation, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC). The inmate died on Monday and the FDC statement was made on Saturday.

The FDC statement did not detail who the prisoner was, why they were being transported, or how they died. The matter, according to a statement released by the agency, is an “open and active investigation,” and “the victim and staff member names cannot be released.”

The prisoner was being held at Dade Correctional Institution, according to Molly Best, a spokeswoman for the FDC. The individual was pronounced dead “while the transport van was stopped at Florida Women’s Reception Center,” a Florida state prison for women located in the town of Ocala, approximately 345 miles north of Dade.

The FDC statement claims that they “immediately notified the Office of Inspector General and the Florida Department Law Enforcement.”

The Miami Herald learned of the death through a source and questioned the FDC on Friday evening before any public statement had been released. The following morning the FDC released a statement and made the death public.

The FDC statement revealed that the Dade Correctional Institution warden had recently been replaced, and offered that the “new warden is conducting a holistic review of facility operations.”

The press release was scarce on details but contained a statement from the Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, Ricky Dixon, which read: “As Secretary, I will be unwavering in my support for staff who perform their jobs with respect and integrity, but I will also be unrelenting in disciplining staff who act outside of the ethical standards of our profession; they will be held accountable for their actions, up to, and including criminal prosecution.”

Dixon was appointed secretary in 2021. Florida has the United States' third-largest state prison system. The Dade Correctional Institution is a mixed security class prison and is routinely considered one of the most dangerous jails in Florida.