PRISON POPLULATION TOPS 100,000 FOR FIRST TIME

MIAMI - Florida's prison population has topped 100,000 for the first
time, making it only the third state in the nation to break into six
digits after California and Texas.

The Department of Corrections said the number was reached Thursday. At
100,000, Florida's prison population roughly equals incarcerating one
out of every four residents of Miami, or almost all the citizens of
Gainesville, home to the University of Florida.

California has approximately 170,000 prisoners and Texas has 140,000.
Federal prisons combined house approximately 200,000 people.

Florida officials had been expecting the record-setting number for
some time. Department of Corrections Secretary Walter McNeil talked
about it with state lawmakers earlier in December and in a November
interview called it a significant milestone.

In preparation for more prisoners, the state has purchased and begun
setting up tents to house inmates, though none are currently being
used. If all the tents were set up and filled, the state would be able
to house another 1,200 people in them.

McNeil told lawmakers earlier this month that growth shows no signs of
stopping. The state will need to build 19 new prisons in the next five
years to house inmates if nothing is done to slow prison growth, he
said.

McNeil hopes it doesn't come to that. He told lawmakers they should
think about re-evaluating a "lock-em-up" approach to sentencing and
focus on ensuring people released from prison don't return.