A new Florida Policy Institute report points to FJI's litigation as evidence of a pattern: When the state locks people up, whether in prisons or immigration detention, safety and dignity take a back seat to enforcement. Read the full report at linkin.bio/fji

Intern Benjamin Sanchez-Pla chose FJI to gain real world experience in civil rights law. If you are passionate about human rights litigation, head to the link in bio to see how to support.

Law careers rarely start with a straight path to civil rights work. FJI hosted a summer lunch and learn to help interns find theirs. Conversations like this build the next generation of advocates. Help us put on more events like this at linkin.bio/fji

Right now, Florida criminalizes people for sleeping outside, denies basic medical care behind bars, and locks up more people per capita than almost anywhere else in the world. Today, we reignite the push for the U.S. to live up to its own promise.

Intern Kadia Mohammed is passionate about civil rights advocacy and is hard at work on our extreme heat case. If you are interested in supporting or doing work like this, head to linkin.bio/fji

At least 17 Florida cities and counties have passed laws that punish people for sleeping outside since 2024. FJI challenges these laws in court and pushes back on the systems that make the housing crisis worse. Support our work and see the full ACLU tracker at linkin.bio/fji

Here’s what you can do: Show up and speak at the meeting, submit a written comment online, or contact Commissioner Escalona and your city representatives directly. Links for public comment and contact info at linkin.bio/fji

Our community engagement paralegal Michelle Llosa describes exactly how telling stories leads to better outcomes and more work getting done. If those words resonated with you, joining our community is as simple as hitting the follow button.

In 2025, Miami Beach police made around 800 arrests for sleeping outside. The city also installed concrete bumps on walls to prevent people from sitting or lying down, and used drones to find people sleeping on the beach. See the full article at linkin.bio/fji

Two years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that cities could arrest, fine, and jail people for sleeping outside. Since then, over 350 cities and 14 states have passed these laws. FJI is still fighting these laws here in Florida. You can directly support our work at linkin.bio/fji

These are people who work. They often earn too much to qualify for government assistance, but not enough to cover the basics. They’re one emergency away from losing housing. It’s why we’re fighting for affordable housing for everyone. Support our fight directly at linkin.bio/fji

Senior homelessness in Collier County has tripled in the last year and they are some of the most at-risk groups when it comes to enduring summer heat. FJI uses impact litigation to push for housing access and resources. Read the full article and see how we fight for the unhoused at linkin.bio/fji

Hear from one of our new summer interns, Kourteney Salmon, on why she chose to work at the Florida Justice Institute. Learn more about our amazing team at linkin.bio/fji

LGBTQIA+ people are incarcerated at 3 times the rate of straight people. Disparities show up at every stage of the system, from juvenile justice to parole. We show up to combat the pipeline itself and the people trapped inside of it. See real case updates and support our work at linkin.bio/fji

Florida lawyers can meet their pro bono duty two ways: 20 hours of service, or a $350 contribution to a legal aid organization. For the second option, contribute at linkin.bio/fji

If you’re a future or current legal professional looking to get involved in civil rights litigation, you’re in the right place. Visit FJI.law and head to the Contact Us page to start with pro bono work. Attorneys and students can find other opportunities on our Work With Us page.

Happy Father’s Day to Mike, Dante, and Charles. Fathers on our team carry that role into the work they do every day, fighting for people the system has failed. Happy Father’s Day from all of us at FJI.

Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free. The delay was not an accident. Today is a reminder that we need to continue fighting for freedom and challenge systems that deny justice. Learn about our work at linkin.bio/fji

Join us tonight at the UM Hope Law Summer Webinar Series on the criminalization of homelessness. Learn what’s happening systemically to punish people living in poverty and the ways we can fight against it. Register for the free webinar at linkin.bio/fji

Florida has cut funding for gender affirming care, and the ACLU is now fighting that decision in court. FJI stands with that fight. We believe medical care is a right, not a privilege based on identity or circumstance. Read more on the ACLU’s fight at linkin.bio/fji

When you donate to our organization you’re directly helping us increase access to justice in Florida. You can also help by following us, sharing our posts, and showing up to our events. Visit FJI.law to donate and see our other social media channels.

FJI Senior Attorney Ray Taseff is presenting at the UM Hope Law Summer Webinar Series on the criminalization of homelessness. If you want to understand how Florida’s laws are pushing people further from stability, this is worth your time. Register for the free webinar at linkin.bio/fji

Tiffani Lee, FJI Board Member and Treasurer, has been named one of the South Florida Business Journal’s 2026 Ultimate CEO honorees. We are proud to have her dedication and expertise represented on our board. Congratulations, Tiffani!

Florida is paying Centurion billions of dollars to provide health care in state prisons. People are going blind instead. Read the full Florida Bulldog coverage at linkin.bio/fji

We're excited to welcome Benjamin Sanchez Pla to the FJI team. Benjamin recently graduated from Yale University, where he majored in Political Science and earned an Intensive Certificate in Human Rights. We’re looking forward to seeing his career and impact grow. Welcome, Benjamin!

New federal data shows that for the first time since 2016, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the US went down. That progress came from housing-focused programs, but it is fragile. FJI continues to fight for housing access. Support our advocacy directly at linkin.bio/fji

FJI's Dante Trevisani joined advocates from across the South at the Southern Regional Convening on the Criminalization of Homelessness. Punishment does not solve the housing crisis. It makes it harder for people to get stable and stay stable. Follow to see how we keep pushing for housing access.

We focus on preserving human rights in the justice system, empowering vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness and poverty, and providing dignity for people with disabilities. Visit FJI.law to get in touch and see resources for help with other kinds of legal assistance.

Join us in welcoming Kadia Mohammed to the team! Kadia is a rising third-year law student at the University of Miami and is President of the Caribbean Law Students Association. Kadia also interned with the Innocence Project of Florida investigating wrongful conviction claims. Welcome, Kadia!

We're excited to welcome Kourteney Salmon to the FJI team. Kourteney is a rising second-year law student at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University College of Law. As an undergraduate at FAMU, she also interned with the Innocence Project of Florida. Welcome, Kourteney!

We want to take a moment to recognize Bam Adebayo. Bam was just awarded the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy for his work through the Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation. Bam's commitment to community is worth celebrating and it speaks to our shared mission of increasing housing access.

In 2018 Florida voters passed Amendment 4, one of the largest expansions of voting rights in decades. FJI helped craft its language. Now, with mid-decade redistricting reshaping political power across Florida, that voice matters more than ever. Support our work at linkin.bio/fji

FJI mourns the loss of Ruth Shack, a trailblazer for civil rights. Ruth protected residents from housing discrimination and her later work leading The Miami Foundation carried that same commitment to a more just Florida. Our thoughts are with her family and all who carry her work forward.

Thanks to the efforts of the Murphy family, people are now screened for mental health issues early in the custody process. Last year, Cindee Murphy spoke about what the moment meant to her. During May and beyond, we’ll continue to advocate for mental healthcare access.

Today we honor the people who gave their lives in service to this country. Honoring them can mean more than flags and ceremony. It should include ensuring veterans have housing, healthcare, and resources when they need it. The gap between the rhetoric and the reality is where harm can happen.

For the unhoused, the elderly, and people inside prison without AC, heat can be deadly. FJI is in court pushing for better conditions in Florida prisons. Our housing advocacy work fights to make sure no one is forced to face the heat outside without options. Learn more at linkin.bio/fji

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We want to remind everyone that mental healthcare still needs to improve for people inside Florida’s prisons and jails, people without a place to call home, and for people with disabilities. Follow to see us keep pushing for access to mental healthcare.

Happy birthday to FJI paralegal and Pro Bono Manager Bethell Forbes! Learn more about our amazing team and the work they do at FJI.law

A person inside a Florida prison described what sleeping with a CPAP machine feels like in the summer: suffocation instead of rest. This is what people are enduring every summer while FJI is actively fighting to change it. Read the full piece in the FPEP Post at the link in bio.

With the appropriate resources, nonprofits generate solutions that drive meaningful change. @fji.law solves problems through impact litigation and advocacy for disenfranchised residents across #Florida. Your support matters every day to empower these vulnerable populations. Invest today. (2/2)

Elmer Williams spent years in a Florida prison while battling terminal cancer. In 2022, FJI attorney Erica Downs secured his compassionate release. FJI is fighting for others like Elmer, but we need your help to keep doing it. Support our compassionate release work at linkin.bio/fji

We are excited to welcome Dr. Mfon Ekong to our Board of Directors! Dr. Ekong is an academic pediatrician whose career spans healthcare delivery, education, and health policy. Her background aligns directly with the work FJI does every day. Learn more about Dr. Ekong and our board at FJI.law

At our Signature Event, we featured work from students of Exchange for Change, one of our award recipients. “Broken Mirror” was written by Jennifer Sparks, a student in the Exchange for Change program. Learn more about Exchange for Change at exchange-for-change.org

FJI’s Michelle Llosa wrote about FJI’s heat case in the latest issue of the FPEP Post, a publication written by advocates and people inside the prison system. Read the full article in the FPEP Post at the link in bio.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers in our community. That includes the incredible women on our team and board who bring their whole selves to this work every day. Learn more about our amazing team at linkin.bio/fji

A recent Miami Times op-ed raises a serious question: who is the city actually being built for? As writer Brittany Williams puts it, “growth without stability is not progress.” Read the full Miami Times piece at linkin.bio/fji

“Judge King gave me my first job out of law school, in large part because of my public interest credentials.” That’s FJI attorney Dante Trevisani remembering Judge James Lawrence King, who passed away at 98. See the full memoriam at linkin.bio/fji

The artwork you see here was created by people on Florida’s death row. Both those executed and those exonerated. We’re grateful for partners who stand alongside us in the work around death penalty reform and help give people a platform for their voice.

Florida's wealth surge is pushing out the people it depends on. Teachers, nurses, and service workers can't afford to stay as median home prices climb to $420,000. That's why FJI fights policies that treat homelessness as a crime instead of a housing problem. Learn more at linkin.bio/fji

Wishing FJI’s Staff Attorney Erica Downs a happy birthday! Learn more about our dedicated team, board, and community at linkin.bio/fji