TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Representatives of liberal-leaning groups joined conservative organizations Friday, participating in a forum about reforming Florida's complex criminal-justice system.
The Project on Accountable Justice, hosted by Florida State University, aims to modernize the state's prison system, with goals of increasing public safety while saving taxpayer money and creating more fairness in criminal sentences.
The wide range of organizations involved in the discussion say reforms are essential, as costs run too high and sentencing guidelines are often too strict and not uniform.
Vikrant Reddy is with the Libertarian Charles Koch Institute.
He says harsh tough-on-crime policies and sentences are no longer doing much to improve public safety.
The Southern Poverty Law Center's Scott McCoy agrees. He says sentences are often very different, depending on the age, race and gender of the accused.
A host of criminal justice reform proposals will be debated by the legislature during the 2017 session, starting next week. Among them are reducing prison terms for lower-level, non-violent criminals, along with mandating the use of civil citations for minors who commit misdemeanor offenses.
