Operation and Management of Contractor-Operated Correctional Facilities – Graceville CF

The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is issuing an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) number FDC-ITN-25-070 for the operation and management of the Graceville Correctional Facility, a 1,884-bed adult male minimum/medium/close custody correctional facility located in Jackson County. The procurement seeks a contractor to provide comprehensive correctional facility services, including operational, security, health, and inmate programmatic services. Mandatory qualifications include at least ten years of experience in correctional facility management, with vendors required to demonstrate a minimum 7% cost savings. The evaluation process will assess technical proposals across categories such as experience, operational plan, security operations, health services, and transition planning, with technical proposals weighted at 70% and pricing at 30%. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for April 14, 2025, with proposals due by May 30, 2025. The initial contract term is three years, with potential two-year renewals contingent upon satisfactory performance and funding availability. Vendors must submit various mandatory documents, including financial statements, business experience forms, a performance bond of $8 million, and a reply bond.

The solicitation does not explicitly outline specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though Form 5 provides checkboxes for Certified Minority Business Enterprises (CMBE), Women-Owned Businesses (WBE), and Veteran-Owned Businesses. The estimated annual spend for this contract is $53,685,616, with vendors guaranteed payment for 1,696 inmates at a per diem rate based on 90% occupancy. Existing infrastructure includes comprehensive asset inventories detailing technology, security equipment, medical devices, and facility furnishings valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Contractors will be responsible for maintaining existing systems and implementing current programmatic services, which include academic, behavioral, religious, wellness, substance abuse, and vocational programs covering approximately 19-24% of the inmate population. The contract emphasizes reducing recidivism through evidence-based programming and requires adherence to Florida Statutes, American Correctional Association (ACA) standards, and Department of Corrections policies. Funding is contingent on annual legislative appropriations, with monthly compensation subject to various deductions including maintenance reserves and contract monitoring expenses.