The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is discontinuing its work release program, effective immediately. The decision was announced at a monthly Criminal Justice Commission meeting on Monday by PBSO Chief Deputy Mike Gauger, according to several people who were in attendance.
Exclusive: PBSO deputy who guarded Jeffrey Epstein on work release witnessed unusual treatment
PBSO will end the work release program, even though the CJC recommended the program stay in place. According to Kristina Henson, Executive Director of the CJC, Bradshaw agreed with an earlier decision from CJC staff, who recommended a few weeks ago that PBSO terminate the program.
However members of the Corrections Task Force, a subcommittee of the CJC, and the entire CJC body themselves on Monday disagreed with staff, and believed the program should continue. Regardless of recommendations from staff, a subcommittee, or the entire CJC body, Bradshaw has the ultimate say in what to do with the program.
Inmates can still qualify for PBSO's house arrest program which allows qualified offenders out of jail, on house arrest, with an electronic ankle monitor.
PBSO's Work Release Program came under scrutiny when media outlets reported that the sheriff's office allowed convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein out on work release, for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, while he was incarcerated in Palm Beach County between 2008 and 2009.
Earlier this year, two women came forward with claims that they were raped and assaulted by Epstein while he was out on work release, supposedly under the watchful eye of a PBSO deputy.
A spokesperson from PBSO denies the claims the women have made.
As a result of the claims made by the women and media reports uncovering possible preferential treatment of the part-time Palm Beacher, lawmakers publicly asked Governor Ron Desantis to put the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on the case, and investigate any acts of wrongdoing.
Despite requests from lawmakers, Destantis did not ask FDLE to investigate until PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw formally wrote a letter to the Governor requesting an investigation. After Desantis opened an investigation, Bradshaw temporarily suspended the program and asked the county's CJC to review the work release program.
Bradshaw is a member of the CJC, but was not present at the meeting on Monday.
Palm Beach County Mayor David Kerner, a member of the CJC, weighed in on the decision. “The report speaks for itself, the work release program in Palm Beach County under the auspices of PBSO hasn’t been used very broadly over the last decade that’s what's been born out by this report.”
Kerner also said the Board of County Commissioners, Bradshaw and the court system will work together moving forward. “We will come together to find an alternative way to reduce incarceration in our county jail and make sure that those that don’t need to be in the county jail are able to, if they’re a low risk offender, continue to work.”
Kerner told WPTV he agrees with Bradshaw’s decision and believes there is a more efficient way to do a work release program through the county government structure.
It’s still too early to say what the new program will be but Kerner said they briefly discussed Alachua County’s Work Release Program.
On Monday afternoon, PBSO released the following statement:
"Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, announced today that he formally discontinued the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Work Release Program.
In order to ensure that the agency’s work release program was consistent with best practices, Sheriff Bradshaw, asked the Criminal Justice Commission to review PBSO’s existing policy on August 2, 2019. The final report released today, December 16, 2019, has been reviewed by Sheriff Bradshaw and he agrees with the commissions findings.
Moving forward, any inmate being placed on the In House Arrest Program will need a judge’s order. All parameters of the In House Arrest Program, including the ability of the inmate to go to work, during specific times, must be in the Judge’s Order, for the Sheriff’s Office to enforce. This decision not only saves money by placing inmates at their home on house arrest, but also places total control of the decision making process in the hands of the Court system, and the presiding Judge."