F R O M T H E S T A T E A T T O R N E Y A n d r e w H . W a r r e n - S t a t e A t t o r n e y f o r t h e T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l C i r c u i t
Stateattorneyconvenes racialJusticeWorkgroup
ourofficepartneredwithgrassrootsorganizationsandcommunity leaderstocreatefivenewactionStepsforfairness & engagement .
Prosecutors are
responsible for more than simply prosecuting cases . We have a unique ability to actively build a more fair and equitable criminal justice system . Over the past several months , we have listened as our community has called out for progress , and we have re-evaluated our own role in delivering sensible reforms . We recognize that only in partnership with our community are we able to build a strong system of criminal justice that prioritizes public safety and fairness .
To that end , our Office partnered with grassroots organizations and community leaders to create five new Action Steps for Fairness & Engagement to address issues of racial injustice , as part of our mission of building a safer community while promoting justice and fairness for everyone .
Those Action Steps include providing more information regarding our review of use of deadly force incidents , increasing engagement with minority communities , and improving the recruitment and retention of minority prosecutors . The most ambitious initiative is the creation of a Racial Justice Work Group whose goal is to identify distinct problems of racial injustice and to develop and implement solutions to address those inequalities .
The 19-member Work Group includes members of the faith community , grass-roots organization leaders , mentors for at-risk youth , returning citizens , business
owners , and prosecutors . Assistant State Attorney Jeria Wilds , Chief of Problem- Solving Courts , is leading our effort to organize and facilitate these important and often uncomfortable conversations .
Stanley Gray of the Urban League of Hillsborough County explained his interest in taking part , saying , “ If you don ’ t have a place where people can share their feelings , we ’ re never going to get to a solution .”
The Work Group ’ s meetings began with frank conversations about challenges faced by Black men and women — both youth and adults — in the justice system . Those conversations led to identification of issues across different topics including police accountability , consistency in charging decisions and sentencing , effectiveness and access to diversion programs , mental health , and community engagement . The goal is to identify very specific issues within those topics , then create real solutions that can be implemented by the State Attorney ’ s Office and our partners .
We have been working hard over the past four years to tackle racial disparities . Our Office has added new data-driven approaches to handling cases , increased transparency with the public , and reformed how we address low-risk first-time offenders in an effort to make their first encounter with the justice system their last . But this Work Group is built on the idea that the more input we have from the community , the more likely we are to find solutions to the problems that we know continue to exist . n
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