The Florida Department of Corrections does not take proximity to family when it settles on a final destination for the 100,000-some inmates in its custody.
Paul Miller, the 66-year-old Flagler Beach resident sentenced to life in prison in June for the murder of Dana Mulhall, his neighbor, in 2012, was moved this week to what may be his permanent home for the rest of his life: Dade Correctional Institution in Florida City, south of Miami, some 350 miles from his home–and spouse–in Flagler Beach.
Miller, who will turn 67 on Set. 19, is appealing the conviction. He is being represented by the Public Defender’s office.
After his sentencing, Miller was booked in at the Central Florida Reception System, 10 miles east of Orlando International Airport. He was assigned inmate number is V43515. On Aug. 5 he was transferred to the South Florida Reception Center in Doral, just west of Miami, and on Thursday he was booked in at Dade prison, a 1,500-inmate minimum and medium-security prison at the edge of the Everglades.
Among the prison’s “betterment” programs: Alcoholics Anonymous, Anger Management, Culture Club Opera, Marriage Encounters, Music Theory and Wellness Education.
sonny says
hope he stays there the rest of his life 350 miles away at least his family can still see him the guy he murder can’t see his family
Ben Dover says
This is your Stand Your Ground white man and guess what………………..he didn t get off, will die in prison
DP says
This wasn’t a stand your ground trial or defense, they waived the Stand your ground hearing. They “Defense” claimed self-defense. He was lucky he didn’t get the death penalty, and I’d assume it was probably due to his age and not the skin color. Paul Miller killed a Man, not self-defense when you shot him 5 times with two of those in the back. The victim’s family will never see him, so why should the defendants family get to see him. He needs to rot in jail with all the other criminals.
Nancy N. says
Please remember that Mr Miller’s FAMILY didn’t do anything wrong – he did – and they are the ones being penalized by the DOC’s placement of him far away from their home. They’ve been punished enough for a crime they didn’t even commit by having him taken out of their day to day lives and only allowed at most to talk to him for 15 minutes at a time (at huge expense) and to see him a few hours a week at most. DOC doesn’t have to add insult to their injury as victims of Mr Miller’s crime by placing him where they can’t even see him.
Nancy N. says
Also – “The victim’s family will never see him, so why should the defendants family get to see him” is a great soundbite but bad correctional management. Ask any correctional officer and they’ll tell you that inmates who have regular contact with a loving, supportive family are almost always the most well-behaved, stable inmates. Why? Because 1) these inmates have someone nurturing the human side of their personalities that life at DOC would otherwise suck out of them pretty quickly and 2) these inmates have incentive to stay out of trouble and work hard so they don’t lose their visit and phone privileges. In fact, DOC rules were recently revised to make it more difficult for visitation privileges to be taken from inmates for long periods of time, with the reasoning being that statistics show that regular visits reduce recidivism in offenders and DOC is on a big push to actually rehabilitate people.
Sherry Epley says
Thanks for the tiny drop of compassion, Nancy! Something that seems to be sorely missing among some members of our community.
Mike says
@ Nancy, I have to whole heartedly disagree with you on this, once you commit a hernias act such as murder you have no rights after conviction. I can see it for a short jail term for say a lighter class felony but not this. We need to stop coddling criminals and their family should have no say in where they go, crime is out of control and we need to punish those who commit it. Maybe if prison was not comfy or close people may make better decisions
Sherry Epley says
In my view, Dana Mulhall and his family and loved ones along. . . with Mr. Miller, his family and loved ones are all the victims of the same terrible laws. I am speaking of those that support our completely “gun crazed” culture. I feel absolutely certain that if that (expletive not used, but thought) loaded GUN were not so very handy, Mr. Miller may have shouted some of his own expletives at Dana. . . he may have even called the police, BUT Mr. Miller would not have crossed over into Dana’s yard with any other weapon. And, Dana would still be alive today. My opinion= Chalk this tragedy up to guns, guns, guns, being much too readily available when tempers flare. This story is tragic and terribly sad from every perspective. My heart goes out to both families!
Nancy N. says
I’m so sick of hearing that “crime is out of control.” It is actually falling. The crime rate in the state of Florida has fallen in 20 out of the last 22 years. In 2012, it fell 6.5%. Those numbers are straight from the FDLE itself. It’s just that thanks to the internet and 24/7 media, we hear about every little thing that happens everywhere, so it feels more like we are surrounded by crime than we were 20 years ago.
Comfy? Coddled? Close? Better decisions? You have obviously never visited a Florida state prison facility or been close enough to someone who was locked up to understand the series of events that got them there.
You have to stop thinking that criminals think and make decisions like you do. People don’t sit down and make rational, considered life changing decisions to commit crimes the way you decide to buy a car. They don’t make a list of pros and cons, costs and benefits. The fact that they could go to prison isn’t even on their radar when they pull that trigger in the heat of the moment. Or they are so arrogant they think they’ll never get caught or so drug addicted or mentally ill they can’t think straight. The threat of prison or even the death penalty is NOT a deterrent when you aren’t making carefully thought out decisions. That’s one reason why so many states have abandoned the death penalty.
3/4 of the inmates in DOC custody are there for a crime that is related in some way to substance abuse. One major thing that happens with substance abuse, especially if it starts at a young age, is that it fries a person’s impulse control in their brain. Even if they get clean their impulse control is often just gone. Telling them they’ll go to prison if they do something has no effect – they have a very hard time resisting the overwhelming impulse to do something they shouldn’t.
It gives you a different perspective on these people when you’ve sat in a prison visitation park with them and seen how the contact with their families changes them. Do I ever want some of these people walking the streets again? Absolutely not. But I have seen that having contact with their families makes them better citizens of the world inside prison that they now inhabit, and that is beneficial to the safety of both the staff that have to work around them and the other inmates who are forced to live with them. It also saves the state money when fewer inmates are causing security issues.
FL DOC is far from “comfy”. They live in either cells or open bay dorms, sleeping on bunk beds on foam mats placed on steel pallets. The buildings are filthy and bug infested. You wouldn’t feed your dog the food they serve. There is no A/C for most inmates, and barely any heat in winter. Many inmates work at grueling physical labor, for no pay. The medical “care” would get your doctor and dentist sued for malpractice. Epidemics of contagious illnesses are common and routine chronic medical conditions are poorly cared for and routinely mismanaged. Contrary to popular belief, inmates aren’t watching cable on large screen tv’s, or lifting weights to work out, or watching tv on their bunks.
Oh and did I mention the constant threat of physical and sexual assault?
Yeah, I bet you’d last about 10 minutes in all that comfy coddling.
Mike says
@ Nancy, You know nothing about me so dont say I would not last 10 minutes there, I would not need too, as I am not a criminal. Criminals choose there path, now they must walk it, sorry you are so offended, if you know some one in the system I am sorry. I had a niece who was assualted and she was a basket case for yaers, depression, stuck in the house because she was afraid to go out. Her attacker got 8 months, where is the justice in that, sorry but do not do the crime if you cannot do the time, sorry if I have offended you in any way.
NOSTRADAMUS says
Too Bad “OLE SPARKY” is Not Up & Running, That’s Where He Should Have Had a “RESERVED” SEAT !!!!!, Adios Dirtbag May Your Soul “ROT”
Michelle Miller says
To nostadomus, who are you to say such a horrible thing about someone’s soul? You need god and I will pray for you. Paul is fine and at peace. His family will visit and support him until the end and there is nothing you can do to change that.
mildred phillips says
The one thing that everyone has overlooked is the fact that Dana could, or should have called the police about the barking dogs.. Miller would not be in jail today if that had happened. And for all you people that judge Miller so harshly, there may come a day that someone younger, stronger, meaner and drunk may threaten to kill you over loud music, parking places or something so trivial.. Who knows, it might scare you. Think about it.