QUESTION:

Can an offender under house arrest in Florida evacuate their home during a natural disaster like Hurricane Irma?

ANSWER:

Yes. They relocate can opt to relocate to a Florida Department of Corrections preapproved back-up address or go to a shelter after confirming with their Community Corrections Officer.

SOURCES:

Michelle Glady, Communications Director, Florida Department of Corrections

Ashley Cook, Press Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

PROCESS:

Offenders bound to serve time under house arrest are under constant supervision by electronic monitoring systems, parole officers and case workers and include individuals on probation, on parole and sex offenders.

The offender is held accountable for every hour, which is tracked by their community officer. But what happens when the governor declares a state of emergency, like Florida Governor Rick Scott did on September 4, were house arrestees allowed to evacuate?

According to Florida Department of Corrections, they were.

"Safety in a storm like this is a priority," Michelle Glady said Sunday. “They are not required to stay in their home they are allowed to evacuated to a home that meets their community supervision requirements…as part of their community supervision they have an alternative address approved."

Most of the 6,240 Floridians under house arrest can also take refuge at a county shelter, Glady said. Sex offenders are the only caveat.

Besides offenders under home detention, Florida Department of Corrections evacuated approximately 12,000 inmates as of September 10 from 31 prisons facilities, Ashley Cook, FDC Press Secretary said.