criminal justice

The costs to settle outstanding prison lawsuits could mean less money to spend on Florida Department of Corrections’ priorities. That’s the message from the new Florida Senate Budget chair.

A bill funding a unique facility to help solve cold cases is starting to move forward in the Florida House.

Floridians could soon vote on a proposal to grant victims more rights during court proceedings. That matter will first go before the Florida Constitution Revision Commission—which meets every 20 years to revise the state’s constitution. Voters would later have their say on the 2018 ballot.

A proposal changing the eligibility requirements for becoming a judge in a state or county court is starting to move in a committee of the Constitution Revision Commission. That’s the panel that meets every 20 years to revise the state constitution and put the matter before voters.

A proposal increasing the mandatory retirement age for Florida judges has unanimously passed a subpanel of the state’s Constitution Revision Commission. That’s the panel that meets every 20 years to revise the state constitution.

Starting Wednesday, the Florida Highway Patrol is expected to step up its presence for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

An organization that deals a lot with human trafficked kids says it’s important to go into the schools and educate potential victims early about traffickers.

Florida’s prison population appears to be on the decline.

A bipartisan coalition of Florida lawmakers are pushing two criminal justice reforms meant to roll back mass incarceration.

Bills aimed at making it easier for human trafficking victims to sue their traffickers have passed a House committee.

Bills aimed at fixing a glitch in a Florida law have cleared their first legislative committees in the House and Senate. The two measures could get more pro bono attorneys to help kids with special needs.

In the coming weeks, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice will be putting the finishing touches on a newly created office where juveniles and their families can raise concerns. That’s just one of the reforms the head of DJJ recently told a group of lawmakers, who had some suggestions of their own to address abuses within the system outlined in a Miami Herald investigative series.

Despite a series of efforts, the Florida Department of Corrections is still facing a significant staffing shortage. The agency’s vacancy rates have more than doubled in the last year.

Amid an ongoing lawsuit, the Florida Department of Corrections is now asking the legislature for more than $19 million in funding to treat inmates with the Hepatitis C virus.

City and county officials are butting heads over how to respond to violent crime in Leon County. The area has seen a spate of killings recently, and it’s not clear how local governments will respond.

You haven’t done anything wrong, but you’re pulled over anyway. The law enforcement officer asks to search your car. Should that officer be required to tell you about your right to decline the search? Florida lawmakers have started discussions about that very topic for the 2018 legislative session.

Florida lawmakers are expected next week to hold committee hearings about the Miami Herald’s investigative series into the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Florida lawmakers are expected to soon take a deeper look into the Miami Herald investigative series, which detailed abuses within the state’s juvenile facilities. A panel of legislators this week gave the head of the Florida’s juvenile justice system a preview of what’s to come.

October is the Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This month, the Florida Department of Children and Families also received a grant to help support domestic violence victims.

The head of Florida’s juvenile justice system says a Miami Herald investigation detailing abuses within detention facilities does not tell the full story.

A bill aimed at teaching Florida students about the dangers of human trafficking passed its first Senate panel Monday.

As Florida continues to work to combat human trafficking, some experts say working to make sure everyone recognizes the signs is important. But, equally important is going after the so-called “johns” themselves.