POWERNET OF TAMPA on Clubhouse

Bio

The overall goal is to engage the citizenry, as well as public and private sector stakeholders, in a community- wide effort to reduce the disproportionately high arrest, conviction, incarceration, and recidivism rates in Hillsborough County that disproportionately impact African Americans and other poor people in our under- resourced communities.
OVERVIEW OF THE CHALLENGE:
• Hillsborough County (HC) leads the state in the number of adults sent to, and returning from, the state
prison system annually*.
• Hillsborough is the 4th largest county by population but has the highest recidivism rate among the 10
largest counties in the State of Florida*.
• 80,495 were incarcerated in Florida’s prison system as of June 30, 2021; an 8.3% reduction (7,241) from the previous fiscal year** (In the 10 years prior to COVID, it remained above 90,000 making it the 3rd largest prison system in the USA.)
• 48% of the Florida State Department of Corrections (FDOC) prison population is Black** 16% of Florida’s general population is Black
18% of the Hillsborough County population is Black
51% of HC inmates currently incarcerated are Black (updated by FDOC on 1/18/23)
• 33% of the total prison population is less than 35 years of age
• The recidivism rate based on re-incarceration within 3 years is around 21%*
• The recidivism rate based on re-incarceration within 5 years is around 32%*.
• The recidivism rate based on re-arrest within 3 years is around 60%***.
• Of the 2.7 billion FDOC operating budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, 3.4% was allocated
for inmate education and rehabilitation programs.