Florida TaxWatch Makes the Case for Lesser Sentences for Nonviolent Offenders

With President Barack Obama commuting the sentences of 46 drug offenders this week from federal prisons, Florida TaxWatch says leaders in the Sunshine State can take a lesson.

 "This week, President Obama announced the commutation of 46 nonviolent federal offenders, offering them a second chance,” said Dominic Calabro, the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, on Wednesday. “Eleven of these offenders who will be released early from their prison sentences are Floridians who have a unique opportunity to reassimilate into their communities and become productive taxpaying citizens in the Sunshine State. 

"These lengthy prison sentences for low-level offenders were unnecessarily harsh - not only for the offenders, but also for the taxpayers,” Calabro added. “At the end of their prison sentences, which are scheduled for November 10, 2015, the Florida offenders will have served anywhere from 10 to 25 years for nonviolent offenses. Overincarceration of nonviolent drug offenders, such as these inmates, provides little to no public benefit to community safety, but results in astronomical costs.”

Robert Weissert, the senior vice president of research and general counsel for Florida TaxWatch, said Florida had too many nonviolent offenders facing oversentences. 

 "Much like at the federal level, Florida's criminal justice policies have caused the state prison population to explode, resulting in exorbitant costs despite reaching 40-year crime lows,” Weissert said. “The Florida TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice seeks to improve community safety and reduce recidivism in the Sunshine State by researching and recommending policies to lower taxpayer burden in a bloated criminal justice system. 

"As Florida lawmakers look for options to reduce the state burden for prisons and continue to make Sunshine State streets safer, they must ensure the punishment fits the crime,” Weissert addded. “The 2014 Legislature wisely reduced sentences for nonviolent drug offenders charged with possession of oxycodone and hydrocodone, following a Florida TaxWatch recommendation. In 2016, policymakers should build upon those reforms by revisiting all nonviolent drug sentencing and reduce the mandatory minimums for these offenses."