A new bipartisan think tank will push for a cost-effective way to cut crime in Florida. The idea behind the Project on Accountable Justice at Florida State University is that good data will help policymakers make better criminal justice decisions.
The group’s Chairman Allison DeFoor, a longtime Republican strategist, says the think tank is politically neutral.
"The data will be its own advocacy. There are plenty of advocates in this mix. We don't need more advocates", said DeFoor. "We need more data".
DeFoor said a major concern is Florida's high recidivism rate. Fully one third of inmates released from state prison reoffend within 3 years.