Senate passes bill to prevent forged prison papers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Corrections would have to verify the authenticity of prisoner release orders involving reduced sentences under a bill passed by the Senate.
 
The legislation the Senate passed unanimously Tuesday is a response to a case last year where two murders used forged release documents to escape.
 
The department would have to verify with the judge who issued the orders that they are real.
 
When the department released the two prisoners last fall, it contacted the Orange County clerk of courts to verify the release orders, but not the judge whose name was forged on them.
 
The escaped prisoners were later captured at a Panama City Beach motel.

WFTV