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ABOUT THE WORK: The series had immediate impact: Florida lawmakers, present and past, expressed outrage and called for state laws to be reformed. Democratic state Rep. Fentrice Driskell, the House minority leader, called the findings “shocking” and heart-breaking. State Rep. Dianne Hart, a Democrat from Tampa, pledged to change the laws in the upcoming legislative session in March, 2025.
In response to the Herald’s findings former Republican State Sen. Jeff Brandes, meanwhile, called on current lawmakers and prosecutors in Florida to reevaluate the application of the laws. National advocacy groups working in the fields of child welfare and civil and human rights like The Sentencing Project, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, called for Florida to reexamine its approach to criminal justice.
At the core of these reforms would be limiting the freedom prosecutors have to pursue adult charges against children, putting Florida more in line with other states that have moved away from a more punitive approach to juvenile justice. Brendan Depa, a severely autistic child, who was facing 30 years in an adult prison for assaulting a teacher’s aid was sentenced to five years after the Herald reported on the numerous systemic failures from Florida’s healthcare, educational and legal systems in the years leading up to the incident.
Shirsho Dasgupta is an investigative data reporter with the Washington, DC bureau of the Miami Herald and its parent company, McClatchy. He frequently writes about legal and financial issues. His reporting has spurred federal investigations and shaped legislation. He holds Master's degrees in both English and Journalism and also has reporting experience in India.
Honorable Mention: Naveena Sadasivam and Lylla Younes, “Ethylene Oxide” (1/2/3), Grist
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