Florida Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform Supports Increased Rehabilitation in Prisons

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice approved Senate Bill 1032 today. It would incentivize participation in educational and vocational training, and rehabilitation in Florida’s prisons by allowing individuals to earn additional time off of their sentence for engaging in productive and constructive activities and turning their lives around in prison. 

Florida spends $2.7 billion to incarcerate roughly 96,000 people in prison each year. Increasing rehabilitation credits is estimated to save the state $860 million over the next five years, and evidence-based research has shown that increasing rehabilitation in prisons makes our communities safer and reduces recidivism.   

The following is a statement from Carrie Boyd,  policy counsel for the SPLC Action Fund:

“We need to incentivize rehabilitation and get people ready to live a life outside of prison.  If someone is released without taking part in educational and rehabilitative programs and mental health counseling, their likelihood of reoffending will be much higher. We hope the full House and Senate support this measure.”

The following is a statement from Kara Gross, ACLU of Florida legislative director and senior policy counsel:

“When incarcerated individuals participate in educational and vocational training and other productive activities, everyone benefits. In order to safely address our prison and budget crisis, we need more rehabilitation in prisons. The state is dealing with both a budget crisis and a prison overcrowding crisis. SB 1032 can help solve both problems.” 

For a full list of organizations involved in the Florida Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform, go to https://www.betterjusticefl.com/.