Florida Justice Institute

A nonprofit public interest law firm that conducts civil rights litigation and advocacy in the areas of prisoners’ rights, housing discrimination, disability discrimination, and other areas that impact the lives of Florida’s poor and disenfranchised.

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Our Work

Here are some examples of our work and how it's making a difference across the state of Florida.

FJI Returns to Court to Enforce Brevard Jail Overcrowding Consent Decree

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 […]

FJI 2019 Year in Review

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 […]

FJI, Representing Disability Rights Florida, Sues Florida Department of Corrections for Breach of Settlement Agreement Protecting Incarcerated People with Disabilities

TALLAHASSEE, DECEMBER 4, 2019– Disability Rights Florida, Florida’s federally funded Protection and Advocacy organization for individuals with disabilities, has brought suit against the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) over its systemic failure to comply with a settlement agreement signed by both parties in July 2017.  DRF is represented by the Florida Justice Institute and Morgan […]

New Lawsuit Challenges Use of Solitary Confinement for Children in Florida Case Filed by Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida Justice Institute, and Florida Legal Services

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) […]

Class Action Lawsuit Challenges Massive Overuse of Solitary Confinement in Florida Prisons Case Filed by Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida Justice Institute, and Florida Legal Services

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Admire Harvard has spent nearly 10 years locked up in solitary confinement in the Florida prison system. Harvard, a 28-year-old black transgender woman, has been subjected to solitary confinement in a men’s prison since September 2009. Due to conditions in solitary confinement, she suffers from depression, anxiety and auditory hallucinations, and has […]

Court Issues Final Order in Prison Class Action Requiring Treatment for All Incarcerated People with Hepatitis C

On April 18, 2019, Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida issued a final order in the Florida Justice Institute’s (FJI) prison class action, granting the plaintiffs’ request to require the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) to provide treatment to all incarcerated people with Hepatitis C (HCV), including […]

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Florida Department of Corrections For Unlawfully Confiscating Millions of Dollars of Digital Music and Books

MIAMI/TALLAHASSEE – Today, the Florida Justice Institute (FJI) and the Social Justice Law Collective (SJLC) announced the filing of a federal class action lawsuit against the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) for confiscating the lawfully purchased digital music and books of thousands of Florida prisoners.  After years of selling digital music and books to Florida prisoners […]

FJI Helps Secure First Amendment Victory for Individuals on Sex Offender Registry

FJI attorneys, along with attorneys Valerie Jonas and Beth Weitzner, have secured an important First Amendment victory for individuals on the sex offender registry.  As a result of our lawsuit over a law requiring registrants to report their Internet identifiers to the state, a federal judge has issued an Order prohibiting the state from associating […]

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