Criminal Justice

The ACLU of Florida seeks an end to policies within the criminal justice system that cause widespread violation of constitutional and human rights and also lead to unprecedented levels of incarceration. The state of Florida currently incarcerates over 100,000 people, more than the population of the city of Clearwater.

Additionally, in spite of the fact that the death penalty is discriminatory, arbitrary and inherently violates the Constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment, and the fact that Florida leads the nation in the number of exonerations from death row, Florida continues to practice the death penalty.

Between the failed death penalty system, overly-harsh mandatory minimum sentencing, lengthy prison terms for drug possession, over-incarceration of non-violent offenders and zero-tolerance school policies, our criminal justice system is in need of reform. The ACLU of Florida is working with lawmakers and policy leaders and community organizers across the state to rethink and reform Florida’s wasteful, ineffective criminal justice system.