Issue Position: Fair Administration of Justice

Issue Position

*Our police officers and other first-responders are a representation and extension of our democracy: they protect the values at the heart of our great nation. For this reason, it is indispensable that they be given the tools and training with which to do their
work -- that is, keeping us safe and protecting our constitutional freedoms.
*I am honored to have the endorsement of Dade County Police Benevolent Association. I stood with law enforcement as a prosecutor and am humbled that we stand together now.
*Our legislature should work to strengthen the relationship between our community and law enforcement officials by expanding community-oriented policing, placing police officers face-to-face with the people they serve. Trust is a two-way street, and it is demonstrably
improved where police have deeper and more sustained engagement with their communities.
*Expanding Florida's veterans' courts is a promising way to alleviate the taxpayer and administrative burden of incarceration. These courts, which offer substance-abuse and mental-health treatments to military veterans, would ensure that more veterans are capable of reintegrating into civilian life. The collaborative approach espoused by these courts -- where judges and families work together to provide a support system for veterans -- has proven effective in reducing recidivism rates.
*Similar efforts should be made to expand mental health courts. I would sponsor legislation to encourage counties to establish treatment-based mental health courts and seek consistent, cost- and life-saving approaches to individuals for whom treatment is more appropriate than incarceration. We also need greater investment in community mental health resources, which play a critical role in helping our family members and neighbors with mental health issues live fuller, safer lives.

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