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{"id":49352,"date":"2019-02-19T18:00:49","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T22:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/?p=49352"},"modified":"2019-02-19T17:30:52","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T21:30:52","slug":"florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida First Step Act Could Bring Major Criminal Justice Reforms"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Criminal Justice advocates are pushing a sweeping reform package aimed at reducing criminal sentences and helping rehabilitate prisoners instead of simply punishing them.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida First Step act is modeled after a recently passed Federal law.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-49352 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000009\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000009-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000009-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000009-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000009.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000001\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000001-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000001-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000001.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000007\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000007-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000007-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000007-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000007.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Florida prisons house nearly 100,000 inmates, costing taxpayers $2.6 billion a year.<\/p>\n<p>Most inmates will be released within 5 years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s 85,000 people back out on the streets,” said Senator Keith Perry. “Are they going to be good citizens or are they going to recidivate?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The problem, criminal justice reformers say, is that Florida\u2019s system focuses more on punishment, not\u00a0rehabilitation.<\/p>\n<p>To shift the focus, some lawmakers are pushing the Florida First Step Act.<\/p>\n<p>Among many changes, it would give judges discretion to divert from mandatory minimum sentences in non violent drug offenses and offer up to 60 days off sentences if they learn a trade of get an education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are best practices from around the country that Florida would now be implementing and I think that’s all very positive,” said bill sponsor Senator Jeff Brandes.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-2' class='gallery galleryid-49352 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000004\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000004-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000004-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000004.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000006\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000006-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000006-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000006-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000006.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000005\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000005-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000005-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000005-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000005.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>A similar reform for federal prisons passed at the end of last year.<\/p>\n<p>It’s the reason Matthew Charles, who was sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 35 years for possession crack cocaine, is a free man today.<\/p>\n<p>The Federal First step act\u00a0 allowed judges to consider Charles’ behavior and efforts to change when deciding whether to release him early.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomething was done on my behalf, but there’s thousands or hundreds of thousands of others, that nothing is being done on their behalf because they don’t have that voice,” said Charles.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 33%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-3 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-3' class='gallery galleryid-49352 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/teacher-bonuses\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Teacher-Bonuses-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Teacher-Bonuses-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Teacher-Bonuses-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Teacher-Bonuses.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000002\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000002-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000002-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000002-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000002.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/2019\/02\/19\/florida-first-step-act-could-bring-major-criminal-justice-reforms\/criminal-justice-reform00000003\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000003-200x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000003-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000003-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Criminal-Justice-Reform00000003.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>However, Governor Ron DeSantis, who voted for the Federal law as a Congressman, is hesitant to support the initiative on the state level.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe character of the crimes are a lot different. I mean, the Federal tends to be drug trafficking, there’s a lot of white collar [crimes],” said DeSantis. “The state you have a lot more just violent crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Similar reforms have failed in year\u2019s past, but supporters hope the passage of the National First Step Act will give the legislation the push it needs.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida First Step Act hasn\u2019t been put on the agenda for any committees as of now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Criminal Justice advocates are pushing a sweeping reform package aimed at reducing criminal sentences and helping rehabilitate prisoners instead of simply punishing them. The Florida First Step act is modeled after a recently passed Federal law. Florida prisons house nearly 100,000 inmates, costing taxpayers $2.6 billion a year. Most inmates will be released within 5 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49352"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/132"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49380,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49352\/revisions\/49380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.flanews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}