Notice of Development of Rulemaking

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Departmental
RULE NO: RULE TITLE
33-601.305: Inmate Discipline - Investigations
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose and effect of the proposed rule is to clarify the means of documentation of the determination that a requested tape does not provide evidence to support an inmate’s statement.
SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: Inmate discipline.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 944.09 FS
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 20.315 FS., 944.09 FS., 944.34 FS., 945.04 FS
IF REQUESTED IN WRITING AND NOT DEEMED UNNECESSARY BY THE AGENCY HEAD, A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE NOTICED IN THE NEXT AVAILABLE FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE WEEKLY.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Perri King Dale, 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2500

THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:

33-601.305 Inmate Discipline – Investigations.

The investigating officer shall initiate the investigation of the infraction within 24 hours of the writing of the disciplinary report. The investigating officer is responsible for the following:

(1) through (3) No change.

(4) Reviewing documentary or physical evidence referenced by the charging staff person or identified by the charged inmate on Form DC6-151, Documentary or Physical Evidence Disposition. When the evidence is a videotape or audiotape identified by the inmate, the inmate must also include a written statement on Form DC6-151 describing what he expects the tape to show. Failure to complete and sign Section II on Form DC6-151 will result in a waiver of the opportunity to have documentary or physical evidence presented at hearing. The investigator shall determine whether, based upon review of the tape itself or the capabilities of the particular taping equipment, the tape described by the inmate does or does not provide evidence to support the inmate’s statement. If the investigator determines that the tape provides evidence to support the inmate’s statement, he shall prepare a summary for the investigative report. If the investigator determines that the tape does not provide evidence to support the inmate’s statement, the inmate will be provided with the following written statement in the basis of findings section of the disciplinary report: “Based upon review of the identified tape or the capabilities of the particular taping equipment, the tape requested does not provide evidence to support the inmate’s statement.” The investigator shall provide on Form DC6-2028, Disposition of Videotape/Audiotape Evidence, a detailed description of why the tape did not provide evidence to support the inmate’s statement. In the interest of institutional security, this form shall not be provided to the inmate, but shall be retained with the other disciplinary report documentation.

(5) No change.

Specific Authority 944.09 FS. Law Implemented 20.315 FS., 944.09 FS., 944.34 FS., 945.04 FS. History – New 10-1-95, Formerly 33-22.0055 FS., Amended 5-21-00, 2-11-01, 3-22-05, _________.