Big News in Florida!

We’ve been saying it all along: data breeds data. The more criminal justice performance data we can put out there, the more appetite people will have for their collection and release.

Case in point: Today, Representative Chris Sprowls of Florida put forth groundbreaking legislation that requires new data collection practices and standards in Florida so that everyone in the state can have access to performance data that span the system from arrest to post-conviction.

“This legislation will allow us to better evaluate what is and is not working across the system, make more informed policy choices, while also making the data open and transparent to all Floridians,” said Representative Sprowls.

Put simply: this legislation is the result of Representative Sprowls taking one look at the data we have for Florida, recognizing its potential impact, and instantly wanting more–and to know what had to be done to close the data gap and ensure full transparency for his state.

The resulting bill insists that certain data elements be collected and housed in one place. It is common-sense legislation that can help modernize the criminal justice system in the name of fiscal responsibility, fair process, and public safety. Better still, the legislation can be replicated in states nationwide, in compliance with a premise that says: a transparent system is a better system.

We could not be more thrilled to have been a part of this initiative in Florida and look forward to seeing similar results in states across the country.

See the full press conference.