While the United States experienced a drop in the number of inmates in state custody last year, Florida was one of the states who continued to see that number climb. As a matter of fact, Florida was one in five states that accounted for more than half of the overall increases nationwide. So why is it that Florida's incarceration rate is third in the nation with their corrections budget accounting for 11% of the state's fiscal budget? More than likely it can be traced to the state's rigid sentencing laws--mandatory minimums that dole out sentences far beyond the national norm and leave little to no room for judicial discretion. Mandatory minimums that need to be changed.

The state of Florida attempted to take a closer look at the effectiveness of their sentencing practices when Senate Bill 2000 was passed in 2008. Unfortunately, the Correctional Policy Council that this law created never met. Now, two years later, the Council is getting another shot. Senate Bill 1394 is coming before Florida lawmakers and will mandate the study group meet by a certain date and provide recommendations by January 2011. They will be tasked with evaluating the effectiveness of the mandatory minimum laws and addressing whether they should be repealed or changed to allow judicial exceptions. 

At a time when state budgets are tightly constricted, this legislation could serve as a small step towards saving the state of Florida millions of dollars. If nothing is done to change the laws, Florida will need to build an additional 19 new prisons over the next five years. While SB 1394 doesn't immediately change the laws, it sets the stage for potential reform. One of the members of the original council established in 2008, public defender Nancy Daniels states that "baby steps" towards reform are exactly what is needed. Tell Florida lawmakers that their current sentencing practices need to be studied for potential reform. 

Photo Credit: Caitlinator