F R O M
T H E
S T A T E
A T T O R N E Y
An d re w H. Wa r re n - S t at e At t o r n ey fo r t h e T h i r t e e n t h Ju d i c i a l Ci rc u i t
A Reflection on our First Months
of Criminal Justice Reform
Building a safer community while promoting justice and
fairness has required new approaches and concrete changes.
W
e have accomplished a lot at the
State Attorney’s Office during the
first months of 2017, but we are just
getting started. From enhancing
public safety and improving juvenile
justice to expanding diversion programs and increasing
community engagement, we have set ambitious goals. I am
pleased to share with you our progress, highlighting the
changes we have made and the steps we have taken
towards fulfilling our mission:
Building a safer community while promoting justice
and fairness has required new approaches and concrete
changes. To respond to
the unique needs of our
community, we must
hear everyone’s voice.
So we embarked on
a 60-day Listening
Tour, meeting with the
stakeholders in our
criminal justice system
to discuss necessary
changes and how best to
address the challenges
ahead. We met with
community leaders, law
enforcement agencies,
judges and court person -
nel, criminal defense
attorneys, the Public
Defender’s Office, and
third-party agencies that work closely with the State
Attorney’s Office. The constructive conversations
generated feedback on issues ranging from charging
decisions and plea negotiations to diversion programs and
operational efficiencies. You spoke, and we listened.
To build trust with our community, we regularly meet
with the community through quarterly Community
93
Workshops, which are open to the public and streamed
live on our Facebook page. These workshops engage our
community with candid dialogue and transparency
regarding the policies we implement and the decisions we
make, while also giving residents a platform to raise issues
and share ideas.
There is no substitute for enlisting others in a shared
vision for the future. We restructured our office and hired
key personnel to carry out the office’s vision and mission.
Our newly created Chief of Policy and Communication
oversees policy initiatives, communication, and
community outreach. Likewise, our new Chief of Staff
oversees the complex
administration of our
office and handles
legislative affairs to
make sure that our
community’s needs are
heard in Tallahassee.
We realigned the office
to incentivize hard
work, critical thinking,
and problem-solving,
and we have elevated
the status of our
Problem Solving Courts:
the
Drug
Court,
Veterans Court, and the
brand new Mental
Health Court.
We are finding smart
alternatives to prison for first-time, non-violent, and
juvenile offenders to more efficiently use your tax dollars
and reduce recidivism. For example, in my first few weeks
in office, we declined to prosecute members of Food Not
Bombs for feeding the homeless in a city park. Prosecuting
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