Welcome to

The Florida Department of Corrections is giving 33 substance abuse treatment providers throughout the state an ultimatum.

Accept drastic cuts ranging from 40 to 90% in their contracts or have their contracts terminated completely.

And providers have only been given 48 hours to make the decision.

The Department cited a $24.9 million budget cut in this year’s allocations as the reasoning for reducing the contracts, which provide substance abuse services to prisoners and parolees.

The Department says it needs to take the money that would have gone to providers and use it for other healthcare needs.

The Florida Drug and Alcohol Abuse Association says the cuts stand to impact more than 50,000 prisoners and parolees who receive treatment through the programs.

The cuts come as 16 Floridian are dying every day from opioid abuse.

“In the institutions we’re looking at somewhere between 30 and 60% of the substance abuse treatment will go away. Which means 70% of the people that come to prison have a substance abuse problem. It means 70% less will get treatment,” said Mark Fontaine with the Florida Drug and Alcohol Abuse Association.

Providers have to decide whether to accept the cuts by 5 pm Thursday or have their contract terminated.