The Florida Senate unanimously passed a bill 37-0 Wednesday that would divert criminally appropriate defendants suffering from mental illnesses into treatment programs instead of incarceration.
Sen. Jennifer Bradey (R-Fleming Island) championed SB 168, also known as the Tristan Murphy Act. Rep. Nan Cobb (R-Eustis) is sponsoring the House version of the bill (HB 1207), which is still under consideration.
Tristan Murphy was a 37-year-old father of two suffering from schizophrenia, paranoia and delusions. Murphy was serving prison time for a littering offense before taking his own life on a landscaping work assignment at a Florida state prison on September 16, 2021.
Sen. Bradley spoke on her bill (SB 168) on the Senate Floor on Wednesday.
"The bill makes multiple changes to address mental health in the criminal justice system to divert criminally appropriate defendants to treatment, not jail. "It creates a model process for pre-trial misdemeanor and felony mental health diversion," Bradley said.
"The goal of these programs is to identify defendants who have a mental health illness and when appropriate ensure they receive treatment rather than incarceration. Compliance of treatment is fundamental to the pre-trial diversion program and the court may only consider releasing the defendant on the condition that they comply wth treatment," Bradley added.
Senators praised Bradley for addressing mental illnesses in defendants.
"People need treatment, not incarceration," Sen. Darryl Ervin Rouson (D-St. Petersburg) said. "I'm glad to support this bill and want to thank you for your work in bringing it forward."
Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo also thanked Bradley, as well as Republican Senate President Ben Albritton, for bringing awareness to the bill.
"This is beyond all partisanship and the polarization that we see, it's just about doing the right thing," Pizzo said.
Sen. Pizzo also addressed the Murphy family, who were present on the chamber floor.
"This is a very big deal, its tragic and its bittersweet, but so many lives are going to be saved Cindy Muprhy because of you" Pizzo added.
If fully approved, the bill would take effect on Oct. 1.
