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REAL ID is now required for air travel in America; CT House passes comprehensive climate bill; U.S. veterans who hold elective office want environmental investments restored; ME conservation groups seek more protections for temporary wetlands.

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Taxing millionaires could fund safety net programs, climate rollbacks raise national security concerns, India makes cross-border strikes in Kashmir, the Supreme Court backs transgender military ban, and government actions conflict with Indigenous land protections.

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DOGE is gutting a 30-year old national service program, cuts are likely but Head Start may be spared elimination in the next budget, moms are the most vulnerable when extreme weather hits and there's a croaking sound coming from rural California.

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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