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Trump touts immigration crackdown despite concerns about due process; NY faces potential impacts from federal vote on emissions standards; ND Tribes can elevate tourism game with new grants; WA youth support money for Medicaid, not war.

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Major shifts in environmental protections, immigration enforcement, civil rights as Trump administration reshapes government priorities. Rural residents and advocates for LGBTQ youth say they're worried about losing services.

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Migration to rural America increased for the fourth year, technological gaps handicap rural hospitals and erode patient care, and doctors are needed to keep the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians healthy and align with spiritual principles.

Report: Florida leads nation in life sentences without parole as advocates push for reforms

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Thursday, January 16, 2025   

Florida holds the highest number of people serving life sentences without parole in the country, with nearly 11,000 individuals behind bars indefinitely. Advocates are now raising concerns about the state's reliance on extreme sentencing practices, which disproportionately impact communities of color. A new report from The Sentencing Project highlights these racial inequities and calls for legislative reforms to reduce the use of life sentences.

Celeste Barry, report co-author, said nearly three-quarters of those serving life sentences in Florida have no chance for parole.

"The numbers in Florida grew from 2020 to 2024. We're hoping to see an expansion of the reforms that we're seeing in some other states, such as the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act," she explained.

That's in Oklahoma, where incarcerated individuals can seek reduced sentences by proving that abuse played a role in their crime. Barry also advocates for relief for individuals younger than 25 during their offenses.

Barry noted that racial disparities are evident in life sentencing across the United States, including Florida, where nearly half of the life-sentenced population is Black.

"We see instances of implicit and explicit bias which traffic people of color into the legal system at a higher rate, and additionally can lend to more extreme sentences for Black Americans," she continued.

Last year, bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing recidivism, easing re-entry and alleviating financial burdens on families of the incarcerated was vetoed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who argued the bills rewarded "criminal activity" and favored offenders over law-abiding citizens.


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