Two of the results of the probation reform legislation that was signed into law in June by Florida’s Governor are an ease of reporting restrictions for people on probation in Florida and the creation of incentives for people on probation who attend college or find steady employment. Criminal justice reform organization REFORM Alliance was among groups that celebrated this legislative victory.
“This new law will help more than 150,000 people on probation in Florida by removing barriers to their success and rewarding them for doing well,” said Michael Rubin, Co-chair of REFORM Alliance, in a press release announcing the victory. “Not only was this unanimously supported by members of the Florida legislature, but probation officers, business owners and community service providers all joined us in the effort to pass this new law. This is going to safely reduce the number of people on supervision, improve lives and increase community stability across the state.”
The new Florida law includes three key provisions:
- Establishing a statewide remote reporting system that gives “probation officers and people on probation greater flexibility to connect in a manner that supports rehabilitative goals and successful reentry.”
- Creating a credit system that offers a 60-day probation reduction for people that complete a qualifying educational activity, including earning an associate or bachelor’s degree.
- Implementing an additional credit system that incentivizes full-time employment and offering a 30-day reduction of probation for each six-month employment period.
REFORM Alliance and Smith’s Support of Probation Reform
REFORM Alliance is a criminal justice reform organization that launched in 2019 with the aid of activist Robert Rooks after rapper Meek Mill was sentenced to two-to-four years in prison for probation violations that didn’t align with his alleged offenses. Robert F. Smith is a Founding Partner of the organization and contributed $5 million to the organization’s efforts.
People of color, especially Black Americans, are disproportionately impacted by the United States criminal justice system. According to a 2021 report commissioned by The Sentencing Project, Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of their white counterparts and an estimated one in 81 Black adults are currently serving time in state prison. REFORM Alliance works to drastically reduce the number of people on probation and played an instrumental role in getting a similar law passed in California. One of the most transformative probation bills in history, the California law caps probation and parole terms at one-to-two years for most offenses. Since this victory, REFORM has played a role in getting similar bills introduced in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Mississippi.
Learn more about REFORM Alliance’s efforts to reform the criminal justice system.
