Tag
Prison Reform
The Scoop: Wed. July 9, 2025, Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF
WMNF headlines include new no-wake law, new charter schools law, DeSantis vetoed prison reform initiatives.
Democratic Tampa representative ‘doesn’t understand’ why DeSantis vetoed bipartisan parole bill
Listen: Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that passed unanimously through the legislature that would have helped some inmates leave prison earlier. But the bill sponsor says she doesn’t understand the governor’s veto. House Bill...
Organization says the state urgently needs to shore up funding to repair prisons
Prisons in the state are in dire need of urgent repairs, a report from a global consulting firm found. State lawmakers commissioned KPMG to look at the most pressing needs inside Florida’s correctional institutions. KPMG...
Florida Criminal Justice Reform 2023
FL Rep. Dianne Hart, a long-term champion of criminal justice and prison reforms, and Julianne Holt, the elected Hillsborough County Public Defender for the past 33 years both appeared on MidPoint to discuss the mostly...
Florida leads nation in prisoners with HIV, study shows
Florida now leads the country in percentage of prisoners living with HIV, according to a new study. WMNF's Chris Young reports.
Thad Bereday, host of the Redemption Radio podcast, a former lawyer and former prison inmate, and his pastor, Rev. Justin LaRosa of The Portico, a non-traditional, social justice-focused church in downtown Tampa, both join Shelley...
MidPoint: Sen. Jeff Brandes On Florida Politics & Policies
Libertarian Sen. Jeff Brandes, the most interesting Republican in Florida politics, is leaving the Florida Senate due to term limits. He joined us to discuss his passion for policy over politics, and his post-office plans...
Legislature did little on criminal justice reform in 2021
In the 2021 legislative session dozens of bills were introduced that would have done everything from shortening the sentences of inmates with good behavior to creating a registry of police misconduct. But barely anything passed....
Florida lawmakers call for reform after DOJ report finds ‘systemic’ sexual abuse in women’s prison
Florida lawmakers are calling for sweeping reforms after a Department of Justice investigation alleged a culture of “systemic” sexual abuse and cover-ups at a women’s prison in Ocala. State legislators last week held a Zoom...
Floridians are showing out for prison reform
The Sarasota County Legislative Delegation Friday met with civic organizations and county residents to discuss priorities for Florida’s 2021 legislative session. Among many areas of concern discussed, none was talked about more than prison reform....
David R Dow & Phoebe Coco on Life Elsewhere
He is a lawyer working on death row inmate appeals. Earlier in his career, he admits to being firmly in favor of capital punishment. His exposure to “the degrading of human life” on death row,...
