Our Work

The Piney Point phosphate processing plant is threatening to release 300 million gallons of toxic water throughout Manatee County, causing flooding of up to 20 feet.  Residents have been ordered to evacuate, but thus far the sheriff has refused to evacuate the jail, which is within the evacuation zone.  FJI, along with numerous community partners, […]

FORT LAUDERDALE Today, the Florida Justice Institute (FJI), in partnership with Fort Lauderdale lawyers Mara Shlackman and Frantz J. McLawrence, filed a lawsuit challenging a pair of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s anti-panhandling ordinances as an unconstitutional restriction of free speech. One ordinance prohibits requesting donations in all public parks, parking lots, and transportation centers; and within […]

MIAMI/TALLAHASSEE/TAMPA BAY – Yesterday, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle gave final approval to a settlement resolving a statewide class action lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) for the confiscation of millions of dollars of digital music from incarcerated people in Florida, the result of a nearly two-year-long legal challenge brought by the Florida […]

Dear Mayor Suarez, Chair Hardemon, and City Attorney Méndez: We, undersigned ACLU cooperating attorneys, Pottinger Class Representa-tive, the Greater Miami Chapter of the ACLU of Florida, Southern Legal Counsel, the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, and other stakeholders, express our strong opposition to the proposed municipal ordinance restricting the public service of food […]

MIAMI/TALLAHASSEE/TAMPA BAY – Today, a federal judge preliminarily approved a settlement resolving a statewide class action lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) involving the confiscation of millions of dollars of lawfully purchased digital music from incarcerated people in Florida. The settlement requires the FDOC to provide 3.9 million credits for class members to […]

We – the Greater Miami ACLU, litigants in Pottinger v. City of Miami, Southern Legal Counsel, and other advocates attempting to protect the rights of our local homeless residents – write to express our outrage at the indefensible and inhumane assault conducted this morning on the personal safety, health, and property of homeless persons under […]

COVID-19 has begun to spread through Florida’s prisons, and will continue to do so unless dramatic action is taken to stop the impending humanitarian crisis.  That’s why we’re asking state officials to do more to protect the health and safety of some of Florida’s most vulnerable residents. In a letter sent yesterday, FJI and other […]

On April 7, 2020, the Florida Bar Foundation announced that the Florida Justice Institute is Second Runner-Up of the 2020 Goldstein-Van Nortwick Award for its exceptional legal advocacy for the Hepatitis C Class Action litigation. A special selection committee was created to review, score, and select the award winners. This year’s Goldstein-Van Nortwick selection committee […]

With the spread of COVID-19 around the world, we know these may be difficult times for many people.  That is especially true for people incarcerated in Florida’s prisons and jails.  That’s why, in addition to taking steps to safeguard our employees and communities, we are also demanding adequate precautions for those who may be most […]

Today, the Florida Justice Institute (FJI), in partnership with Fort Lauderdale lawyers Mara Shlackman and Frantz J. McLawrence, filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Pompano Beach’s anti-panhandling ordinance as an unconstitutional restriction of free speech. The Ordinance prohibits the solicitation of donations, business, or sales during certain times and at certain intersections, and otherwise […]

The Florida Justice Institute (FJI) has filed a Motion for Order to Show Cause to enforce a Consent Decree that prohibits overcrowding in the Brevard County Jail. The Decree requires the jail population to remain below a certain level, but in recent years the population has exceeded that level.  FJI has been monitoring the Decree […]

It’s been quite a year for FJI, and we want to thank you for all the support that has made our work possible. While we mourned the loss of our dear friend and founder, Randy Berg, we continue to celebrate his life by advancing the work that he started.  Some of this year’s accomplishments include: We […]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –Citing scientific, medical and mental health evidence likening solitary confinement to torture and demonstrating its dangers to the development and rehabilitation of children, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Florida Legal Services (FLS), and the Florida Justice Institute (FJI) have filed a federal class action lawsuit against Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) […]