How Long You Have to File a Grievance About a Suwannee C.I. Issue — and the HIPAA/ADA Exceptions

The deadline is tight: you have just 10 days from the incident to file your grievance. Don't wait around hoping things improve - you'll run out the clock. Write down the incident date immediately, count your 10 days, and get that grievance submitted.

If the issue isn't resolved with the officer, it goes to a supervisor. Once they receive your complaint, they have 20 days to respond in writing. A copy also goes to the Circuit Administrator. This timeline means you won't be left wondering whether your complaint was received or what happened to it.

HIPAA and ADA complaints follow a separate path. If your grievance involves medical privacy (HIPAA) or disability-related access or accommodations (ADA), you need to clearly label it as a HIPAA/ADA grievance on the form. Then submit it directly to the Assistant Secretary of Community Corrections - not through the regular process. The Assistant Secretary has 30 days to respond.

Practical Filing Tips

• ✓ Write down the incident date immediately so you can meet the 10-day filing deadline.
• ✓ Keep a copy of what you submit (and any response you receive) so you can track what happened and when.
• ✓ If the issue isn’t resolved with the officer and you submit to the supervisor, mark your calendar: the supervisor’s written response is due within 20 days of receipt (with a copy provided to the Circuit Administrator).
• ✓ If your complaint involves HIPAA or ADA, label it clearly as a HIPAA/ADA grievance on the grievance itself.
• ✓ Send HIPAA/ADA grievances directly to the Assistant Secretary of Community Corrections (not through the standard route).
• ✓ If you don’t receive the expected written response within the 20-day (supervisor) or 30-day (Assistant Secretary) window, follow up using your copies and dates so you can reference exactly when the complaint was submitted and received.