Grady Judd

Let me tell you that we're always hearing about criminal justice reform, criminal justice reform.

We only need to reform what doesn't work.

And what does work is a criminal justice system in Florida.

Crime is down.

Criminals aren't running wild.

There needs to be reform in Chicago, but the reform needs to be locking more people up and getting people's attention.

When we send people to prison in the state of Florida, what I would emphasize even more than they do, if you take somebody out of society for 5, 10, 15, 20 years, pick a number, we need to make sure that they are offered the opportunity for a skill set.

so that when they come back into society that they can work and be productive and behave.

We do some of that.

We need to do more of that.

But we also need to understand that people run around screaming, oh, we need criminal justice reform.

Well, what's wrong with a system that's got crime at a 50-year low?

What's wrong with a system in Polk County that's got crime at a 54-year low?

Well, here's what happens.

People think that just happens.

It's just because it's always been that way.

The legislators, some Republicans, probably 10 years ago, 8 years ago, started into this, oh, we need to reform, we need to cut down these prison sentences.

And I got to thinking, my goodness, how could they think like that?

Well, back in the day...

When the felons owned Florida, they were either not thought of yet, they were in diapers or elementary school or middle school.