Florida criminal justice reform laws go into effect Friday

Florida’s new law making reforms to the state’s criminal justice system is set to go into effect on Friday. 

Senate Bill 752, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) earlier this month, will allow Floridians on probation to receive new education and workforce credits that will shorten their probation terms and help them gain a GED or other degree or vocational certification and maintain full-time employment. 

Individuals under this law can earn at least 30 days off their supervision terms for each six-month period in which they work for at least an average of 30 hours per week. It also gives them the ability to earn 60 days off their probation term for each completed educational activity. 

The law establishes a new permanent infrastructure for remote reporting statewide, giving those under probation and their supervision officers an opportunity to leverage technology and save transit time by connecting in ways that better support rehabilitative goals and successful reentry into society, the statement reads. 

Multiple organizations and coalitions including the REFORM Alliance led the push for the Florida Legislature to pass the bill.

The REFORM Alliance is a nonprofit social justice organization founded in 2019 by rapper Meek Mill, Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and rapper and mogul Shawn “Jay Z” Carter. 

“This new law will help more than 150,000 on probation in Florida by removing barriers to their success and rewarding them for doing well,” Rubin, who serves as a co-chair for the organization, said in a statement. “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 bill becomes the 14th across nine U.S. states that the REFORM Alliance has helped enact into law, the statement noted.