Robina Institute Executive Director Kelly Mitchell Quoted in The Appeal Regarding Response to Probation Violations in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit

Robina Institute Executive Director Kelly Mitchell was quoted in an article from The Appeal titled, “In a Florida Courtroom, People Charged With Probation Violations Face Humiliation From Judge.” She explained that “[w]hen conditions are imposed en masse and without being individualized to the needs of the person, they serve as trip wires, and can easily result in probation revocations.” Mitchell further elaborated, “This is a hidden population. You can’t tell by looking at someone that they are serving time on a probation sentence. But the collateral consequences that these individuals face—difficulty in obtaining employment, housing, access to education—are staggering. People entangled in the criminal justice system are facing other issues—all sorts of other untreated health needs that make it really hard to abide by even a few of the things we’re asking. Too often we think more is better and longer is better when it comes to length instead of stepping back and thinking: what is the big-picture goal?”