With more than‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ100,000‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩinmates‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩbehind bars,‚Ä≠ ‚ĨFlorida’s correctional population is among the largest in the United States.

One of the primary causes for the high population is that more than two-thirds of offenders are re-arrested and‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩmore than one-in-four‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩreturn to prison within three years of their release.‚Ä≠  ‚ĨWhen these individuals cycle in and out of state and local facilities,‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩthey run up an enormous bill that is shouldered by Florida taxpayers.‚Ä≠ ‚ĨIt costs an average of‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩnearly‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩ$19,000‚Ä≠ ‚Ĩper year to house an inmate‚Ä≠ – ‚Ĩmore than three times the cost of tuition at the University of Florida.‚Ä≠

While virtually every Floridian has some interaction with state government,‭ ‬it is easy for the average citizen to feel distanced from the political process of Tallahassee.‭ ‬And it can be easy for our elected leaders to feel distanced from their constituents if they do not regularly hear from the voters.

But every Floridian has a unique opportunity to share suggestions on how to make their state government more efficient and effective.

Florida students deserve the chance to succeed in their education, their careers and their lives.

Measuring how well our schools are doing is critical to their success. For years, Florida has had clear and transparent school grades. These grades have been used not only to grade our schools, but to provide support for how to improve them.