- December 15, 2025
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No vacancies
According to Quintieri, being overpopulated in the female housing unit is a common occurrence. The unit, which has 14 beds, was housing 16 female inmates the afternoon of April 11. But another female inmate was to be booked later in the day, increasing the number to 17.
“The population has risen to the point where tables and chairs for the inmates have been removed to accommodate the placement of the cots,” she said.
In an ideal world, Quintieri would be able to segregate high-profile violent offenders from the rest of the population. She would have a housing unit to hold juveniles who are being tried as adults. And she would be able to house both male and female inmates by the classifications of low, medium and high risk.
Block C, a 64-bed dorm, houses nonviolent felons, misdemeanor offenders and county-sentenced inmates. This isn’t ideal, Quintieri said.
“We have a difficult time separating inmates who may be co-defendants in a case,” she said. “When we have these inmates who are not allowed to have contact, we often have to arrange a courtesy hold outside the county.”
When inmates are being held elsewhere, staff time and costs increase for transportation back to Flagler for court appearances, Quintieri said.
William Carson Merrill and Paul Miller occupy Cell A3 together. Both are being held in connection with separate shooting deaths earlier this year.
Two cells over, A5 is housing sex offenders.
Block B holds violent felons; it has 32 bunks but was housing 35 inmates April 11. “That’s good for us,” Quintieri said.
State cuts prison funds
Among the $142.7 million vetoed April 17 by Gov. Rick Scott in the 2012-2013 state budget was a $250,000 investment in the Flagler County Inmate Facility.
Under Section 4 of the veto message, Scott references a decline in Florida’s inmate population.
“These decreased demands in both corrections and juvenile justice, coupled with the lowest crime rates in almost 40 years, provides the opportunity to safely reduce the size of Florida’s prison and juvenile justice systems and reduce the heavy financial burden on Florida citizens,” he wrote. Scott’s budget includes savings of $75 million in prison closures.
The county had hoped to use the $250,000 for the design of the jail expansion. Hours after hearing the news from the state, Coffey said he isn’t ready to give up.
“The governor’s veto is a setback, but we’ll find a way,” Coffey said, adding that the county has $150,000 already budgeted toward the design. “We will have to find a way. The jail is too important.”
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