March 6, 2025
March 6, 2025; MIAMI/TALLAHASSEE, FL. The Florida Justice Institute (FJI), a nonprofit civil rights organization, expresses its strong support for the Tristin Murphy Act (SB 168), and urges the Legislature to pass it. The Act creates a mental health diversion program that would allow people arrested for misdemeanors and certain felonies to complete mental health treatment, after which their charges can be dismissed. It allows counties to apply for the creation of a pilot program to implement the measures in that county, and requires data collection and evaluation of behavioral health outcomes. It also provides for specialized training for first responders for encounters with people in mental health crises.
“We applaud Senators Bradley and Albritton for recognizing that many people ensnared by the criminal legal system need treatment rather than prison,” said Michael Langley, FJI’s Executive Director. “This bill is both a moral and an economic imperative. We know that this is step in the right direction toward smarter approaches to justice reform of mental health crises and will ultimately improve public safety.”
The Act is named after Tristin Murphy, who tragically took his own life at 37 years old while incarcerated in the Florida Department of Corrections. He had been sentenced to three years in prison for littering, after driving his truck into a pond in the midst of a psychotic episode. This occurred after years of suffering from the symptoms of schizophrenia, which resulted in several criminal justice encounters, psychiatric hospitalizations, Baker Act proceedings, and being declared incompetent to proceed in his criminal case. He is survived by his wife, two children, and his parents.
Tristin’s death prompted a lawsuit filed by FJI on behalf of Tristin’s mother, Cindee Murphy, who has become a champion for mental health reform in Florida. Following the filing of the lawsuit, it was revealed that FDC revised its policy to require more intensive mental health evaluations for certain people entering FDC custody.
“Nothing can bring Tristin back, but we hope this bill can honor his legacy by offering a humane alternative to incarceration for people with mental illnesses,” said Dante P. Trevisani, FJI’s Litigation Director.
For more information or media inquiries, contact media@fji.law.
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