Evelyn Castillo-Bach unveils sweeping Florida prison reform plan

Florida gubernatorial candidate Evelyn Castillo-Bach outlined a broad prison reform agenda in Pembroke Pines on July 9, 2026, with proposals on oversight, heat, medical care, pay, and reentry. The plan also calls for cutting the minimum sentence-served requirement from 85% to 50% for eligible inmates and moving some veterans into medical facilities instead of prison.

Why it matters: - Castillo-Bach is making prison reform a major issue in the 2026 Florida governor’s race. - The plan targets conditions that affect both correctional officers and incarcerated people. - The agenda also ties public safety to rehabilitation, staffing and costs inside Florida prisons.

What happened: - Evelyn Castillo-Bach, a candidate for governor of Florida, announced a comprehensive prison reform policy on July 9, 2026, in Pembroke Pines. - The campaign said the proposal reflects 25 years of observing the Florida Department of Corrections and listening to Florida families. - Castillo-Bach said families with incarcerated loved ones contacted the campaign and pushed her to state her position publicly. - Castillo-Bach’s son, Mitchell Finlay, has been incarcerated for 25 years, and the family and attorneys characterize his life sentence as illegal after he rejected a five-year plea deal. - Castillo-Bach said her son’s experience broadened her view of prison conditions from both the inmate and officer perspective. - The campaign said the last day to register or change party affiliation for the August 18 primary is July 20, 2026. - Castillo-Bach’s name appears first on the Democratic Party ballot.

The details: - Castillo-Bach wants an independent oversight body separate from the Florida Department of Corrections. - Her administration would back stronger transparency rules for use-of-force incidents, deaths in custody, grievances, medical neglect complaints and staff misconduct allegations. - The plan supports air conditioning in prisons to address extreme heat. - The proposal calls for better access to medical care, mental health care and substance abuse treatment for incarcerated people. - Castillo-Bach wants the Florida Legislature to cut the minimum sentence-served requirement from 85% to 50% for people with a release date. - Under her proposal, the change would be automatic unless an inmate fails to maintain good behavior. - Castillo-Bach said her son would not benefit because he does not have a release date. - The campaign says veterans suffering from service-related trauma should be moved from state prisons into special medical facilities for treatment. - Castillo-Bach said incarcerated veterans need psychological help in medical settings, not prison. - The plan makes correctional officer pay a top priority. - Castillo-Bach supports starting pay of $40 an hour for correctional officers, with higher pay based on experience. - The proposal calls for sergeants to earn $50 an hour or more. - The plan also seeks upgraded pay for lieutenants, captains, majors, colonels, assistant wardens and wardens. - Her administration would support increased training, better staffing levels and new procedures to raise performance standards. - The campaign wants officers to have advanced personal security tools and high-tech security tools. - Castillo-Bach supports simplifying and digitizing daily paperwork and reports. - The plan calls for redesigned security uniforms suited for Florida’s hot weather. - Castillo-Bach says inmate abuse by staff should have zero tolerance. - Body cameras with audio would have to be activated whenever an officer interacts with a prisoner. - Solitary confinement would be sharply limited and used only in cases of violence against officers or other inmates. - The proposal says solitary confinement should never be used as punishment. - Her administration would support vocational training, higher education and life skills programs at all Florida institutions. - The plan calls for expanded reentry services for people returning from prison. - Castillo-Bach wants current contracts for food service, phone service and canteen goods terminated. - The campaign would seek new vendors for nutritious meals, low-cost phone access for families and healthy canteen options at market prices. - Castillo-Bach would convene an oversight panel to recommend ways to stop drug trafficking inside Florida prisons. - She said she would appoint a Secretary of Corrections with ground-level experience in the system. - Castillo-Bach said prison conditions should not be treated as an out-of-sight, out-of-mind issue. - The candidate framed the platform as tough on repeat offenders, especially violent repeat offenders. - Castillo-Bach said people who commit violence inside or outside prison should face full consequences and extended sentences. - She said Florida families are organizing and want a governor who will listen and act.

Between the lines: - The plan blends reform messaging with a law-and-order posture, which could help Castillo-Bach appeal to both criminal justice reform voters and more conservative-minded voters. - The emphasis on officer pay, staffing and equipment suggests the campaign is trying to avoid the perception that prison reform means reduced accountability for staff. - The proposal on veterans signals an effort to reframe some prison cases as medical and trauma issues rather than only criminal justice issues. - The 85% to 50% sentencing proposal is the most consequential policy change in the package because it could materially shorten time served for some inmates.

What's next: - Castillo-Bach is likely to keep pressing the prison reform message as the August 18 primary approaches. - The plan would require legislative action on sentencing and likely broader changes to corrections policy if she is elected governor. - The campaign is also pushing voter registration and party-affiliation deadlines ahead of the primary.

The bottom line: - Castillo-Bach is staking out a broad prison overhaul that combines oversight, rehabilitation, officer support and tougher treatment for violent offenders. The pitch is aimed at making Florida prisons safer and more accountable without sounding lenient on crime.