Innovative and Successful Approach to Prosecutions - Miami-Style Smart Justice

Historically, prosecutors and judges relied almost exclusively on punitive measures, most notably jail or prison sentences, to address and deter criminal activity. However, the traditional punitive approach to justice is unduly expensive, does not work as well as it should, and has unnecessary and devastating consequences for lower level offenders and their families. Thus, Kathy does things differently. Under her leadership, prosecutors distinguish between offenders who can be rehabilitated from those who present a real, present, and future danger to our society. We strive to rehabilitate those we can help, while incapacitating those who would do our community real harm despite our best efforts to assist them.

In 1989, Kathy conceived of and help implement the nation’s first Drug Court, leading to a national movement.  Since that time, much has changed, though her approach to justice has not. While more and more district attorneys, Democrats and Republicans alike, have begun to experiment with what some call “progressive” or "forward thinking" solutions, strategic remedial measures that reduce crime, improve lives, and save money are a matter of tradition in Miami-Dade County.  Her office addresses offenders as individuals and employs an evidence-based outcome-oriented approach that maximizes public safety, makes judicious use of jail space, minimizes unintended collateral consequences, and reduces costs. We call her approach “Miami-Style Smart Justice.”  Miami-Style Smart Justice is an evidence-based, outcome-oriented, medical-legal approach that addresses crime, punishment and rehabilitation in a wholistic manner.  

Kathy’s Smart Justice approach and the programs she supports have been extraordinarily successful.  In fact, they helped reduce the property and violent crime rates more than 75%, while saving millions in costs of incarceration.   You can learn more about Kathy’s strategies and successes by downloading an article she co-authored at http://www.miamisao.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Miami-Style-Smart-Justice-NDAA-April-2020KFR-and-Talpins-1-1.pdf.