[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6343982,"mediaKeyId","2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39","parentId",2251325,"title","State courts tell Senate panel they need richer case-level data to measure performance","audioSeconds",1531,"startMs",75000,"endMs",1606000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39&start=75&end=1606","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39/thumbnail_75000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6343982/Florida/State-courts-tell-Senate-panel-they-need-richer-case-level-data-to-measure-performance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343982-b93d4fbda3eec2deaa473c4a5722c25a/orig.mp4?Expires=1773622118&Signature=IqwaX~2Ugfqhp~mG8dv2HZxZcXNlE2q7PUHcROdqKWiAZoc8Jf~ANtO9Ayz6PDMAnpZDUWVC8YlVpVGSzLHHQjtfY1D2QQwpTBbgSCxdEypGQX0teoKBSeJ1qErPfEoOrttoV1loKdxx7SgbwYTuU58HIT-d3i-D84XQ52mo2yzrFnfoIpOfHVS55xDViIfgQyp77-Elu5gzLC0rLiWkL1W-8fOfbX3CnhM9Okf-ydUUv3OLNh5J0Up0Rv0T0q0VsnhdwcWhvN41EydX~DyirkQsqtrSRQvVFqiMfNVQeeiZ2ZDQWH8lN2QswM9~XRedhTrvJDOpoJ8rBbmPb9XWsg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Florida State Legislature","date","2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","article","State Courts Administrator Eric McClure told the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice that the court system needs more granular, case‑level data to calculate meaningful performance measures such as time to disposition and age of pending cases.

McClure told the committee that Florida’s current foundational workload reporting — the Summary Reporting System collected from clerks — reliably measures filings and dispositions but does not capture the “middle” of a case’s lifecycle. “We can tell you how many were filed and how many were disposed. But to get to that middle, meaty data, we have been working in partnership with the clerks of court on developing a uniform case reporting system,” McClure said.

The lack of event‑level data makes it difficult for the courts to respond to legislative questions about average time to resolution for specific case types, he said. McClure described several complementary systems that together support judges and administrators: clerks’ case maintenance systems, the Court Application Processing System for trial judges, the CTrack case management product used by all six district courts of appeal and the Supreme Court, and niche case management systems for problem‑solving dockets such as the Florida Drug Court Case Management System and the Florida Dependency Court Information System.

McClure said those systems are used to calculate operational metrics including clearance rates and to support budget and policy decisions, including the Supreme Court’s annual certification of judicial need. He explained the use of “case weights” that account for differing workloads among case types when forecasting judicial needs and allocating resources among the 20 judicial circuits.

As an example of using data for program oversight, McClure described problem‑solving (treatment) courts and an internal budgeting and accountability process: the Bridle (trial) Court Budget Commission allocates roughly $11.5 million in a special category for problem‑solving courts and requires annual reporting on participant counts and program outcomes. He said the office is moving toward more consistent performance indicators and certification to ensure fidelity to national standards.

McClure also outlined business controls used in court administration: time standards for invoice processing under state law, reconciliation of finance records, and other routine reporting shared with justice partners and the Legislature. He said the Supreme Court’s Judicial Management Council is working on qualitative improvements, while recent rule changes affecting civil case management took effect Jan. 1 to encourage earlier and more active judicial case management.

The committee did not take any formal votes on court data topics during McClure’s presentation. Committee members proceeded to the next agenda item after a short question period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice 2/5/2025","oneSentenceSummary","State Courts Administrator Eric McClure told the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice that the court system needs more granular, case‑level event data to measure time to disposition and other performance metrics.","taxTitle","Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice, Standing Committees, Senate, Legislative, Florida","taxId",25567,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343973,"FDLE briefs Senate panel on strategic plan, SAFE fentanyl operations, forensic capacity and data modernization",999,3247000,4246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39&start=3247&end=4246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39/thumbnail_3247000.jpg","/articles/6343973/Florida/FDLE-briefs-Senate-panel-on-strategic-plan-SAFE-fentanyl-operations-forensic-capacity-and-data-modernization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343973-8f5b815b64439020c551ef376d532f59/orig.mp4?Expires=1773622118&Signature=NEBvcrf8v8ilgQzzbu-AZZdZ2z6AoTiTpK~f1DKQwVLaBcemLH-vg8LmFDJBd~wacuBScOOwM-6sXRnZgO8wd9pJkeAGF2c9PB-vIAaUyKXESlvhMVBUbWrD3w3D6MfIveGUSM2APxGbEb7SJGjbN0hi0utr-seOXuNxsU1i5OttOTSG9jlG3008mKRcUGBRET8G3AYvExAqnEkQ9KIqcnjyhCPAQ2NP998~NKxocJVqsJkZpjIXAJn9Savhzepvc3oGK5CSdRyWR0u0StuCnyQTSVH7VBztDkxFWzOsVgRtGYFL6m14SYpKpOfe9jcfHPORx54oKsHdPgfHM1k-TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Vaden Pollard, deputy commissioner for investigations and forensic services at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), told the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice that FDLE has completed a five‑year strategic plan, continues to prioritize multi‑jurisdictional investigations and has led a large state effort to disrupt fentanyl distribution.

Pollard described FDLE’s investigative pillars — operational investigations, criminal intelligence and assist/special programs — and highlighted techniques used by regional operations centers, including electronic surveillance, task forces and mutual aid during disasters. He said FDLE frequently assists smaller agencies with major crimes and complex investigations that cross county lines.

On fentanyl enforcement, Pollard summarized the State Assistance for Fentanyl Eradication (SAFE) program: the Legislature provided $20 million in fiscal 2023–24 and an additional $8.5 million last session, bringing the two‑year total to $28.5 million. FDLE reported that, to date, the agency has expended about $9.9 million and uncovered roughly $9 million in reimbursements for operations. Cumulative SAFE reporting showed about 1,249 arrests since inception, seizures including 147 kilograms of fentanyl, substantial quantities of other controlled substances, 428 firearms seized and more than $300 million in drug‑related money seized, according to Pollard. He said FDLE sees the program as targeting trafficking organizations rather than end users and credited the Legislature for funding the effort.

Jason Bundy, director of forensic services, described the state laboratory system and workload pressures. FDLE’s forensic program covers 10 disciplines across six regional laboratories and supports county labs and medical examiners. Bundy said Florida’s DNA database is the second largest in the country and that rapid‑DNA booking stations have been established in eight counties, with additional counties self‑funding or seeking funding. He emphasized that trained forensic analysts take one to two years to qualify and that additional analysts are in training to reduce turnaround times.

Lucy Saunders, director of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), explained biometric and records systems: FDLE’s computerized criminal history repository contains records for more than 7 million individuals and the biometric system (BIZ) holds more than 10 million fingerprint records. Saunders said FDLE is upgrading to a cloud‑based multi‑biometric system to improve matching, disaster recovery and latent‑print processing. She also described Florida’s transition from summary uniform crime reporting to incident‑based reporting (FIBRS/NIBRS). As of the committee briefing, about 50% of Florida law enforcement agencies (covering approximately 66% of the state population) had transitioned to incident‑based reporting; Saunders said remaining agencies are at various stages of vendor testing, training and technical onboarding.

Senators asked about fusion centers, equipment costs and the availability of rapid‑DNA instrumentation. The discussion also covered the need for a multi‑agency cold‑case review capability; Pollard said FDLE is partnering with the attorney general’s office and local partners to convene multi‑disciplinary review teams. Senator queries about NIBRS/FIBRS progress prompted FDLE to describe technical onboarding constraints and testing requirements for local records management systems. No committee votes were taken during FDLE’s presentations.","FDLE Deputy Commissioner Vaden Pollard described the agency’s five‑year strategic plan, highlighted the SAFE fentanyl enforcement program funded by the Legislature, outlined forensic laboratory capacity and rapid‑DNA deployment, and reported progress and gaps in incident‑based crime reporting (FIBRS/NIBRS).",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":46,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6343978,"Behavioral health association says state MAT program expanded network, improved retention; senators press for clearer race and ethnicity data",910,2516000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39&start=1606&end=2516","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2251325-0f7b7df4caa581f8915bd5263a267b39/thumbnail_1606000.jpg","/articles/6343978/Florida/Behavioral-health-association-says-state-MAT-program-expanded-network-improved-retention-senators-press-for-clearer-race-and-ethnicity-data","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343978-bc6887d38732ae45a68687d681507997/orig.mp4?Expires=1773622118&Signature=IwmCkOCaQkjXpeuVPF0IUNq1hJDtLtOqEwD0Uk-aub6Z-6v3lI7Ny8IKocaLlXgzXKTqUUTlmHj0qgxrev~V01paXnTuL~7hLVUaAJeohLwgFvhhDPJFGh5tQU0vSL~anmSpU~D0aGb91XHdqvCe45t9Pyp4fRdjgeJBEl1QcUgJdrl0yEwcPYsoENphIw9dzfKFsb6gdaCzzceuf7XCO8uKUw4Nu-cJEVowNGKmmIjMecXxGN-cExNgXhbEQMYs-Z9UPyU2Gu0aj0SuH4m0l0vZ5YgLPclr9NdGkImpRF5xfuitDf6sf~otaOQ4~aBqjL-H87o1-aN-xP32bFRVbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Melanie Brownwofer, president and CEO of the Florida Behavioral Health Association (FBHA), told the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice that a legislatively funded medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) program serving court‑involved and at‑risk adults has expanded to 63 of 67 counties, served thousands and shown improved engagement and retention.

Brownwofer said the program — funded through proviso language in the trial court budget and administered under contract by FBHA’s services arm (FATA) — began in fiscal 2014–15 with $5.5 million for extended‑release naltrexone (Vivitrol) and was expanded in 2018–19 to include additional medications such as buprenorphine and methadone. In the current fiscal year the Legislature funded approximately $5,500,000 for extended‑release naltrexone and $6,000,000 for broader medication‑assisted treatment, Brownwofer said.

Under the contract, FBHA is required to recruit a qualified provider network, ensure statewide coverage, monitor program participation and reconciliation of payments, and file quarterly outcome reports. Brownwofer said FBHA has complied with the contract’s deliverables and that the Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) monitors invoices, conducts site visits and may exercise contractual remedies if necessary.

Presenters said program outcomes for the most recent five‑year window include: more than 10,000 clinical screenings, approximately 19,900 medical assessments, and about 9,200 individuals who received at least one dose of medication. Brownwofer said roughly 6,600 participants have been “successfully discharged,” which the program defines as meeting an individualized treatment plan. She said engagement rates improved from about 51% ten years ago to roughly 85% in 2023–24 and average length of stay rose from approximately three months to six months.

Brownwofer described participant demographics and diagnoses as follows: 59% opioid use disorder, 29% alcohol use disorder and roughly 13% co‑occurring disorders; average participant age about 43 and 59% male. Several senators pressed for clearer racial and ethnic reporting. Senator Russin asked why the slide showed a heavy overrepresentation of white participants (82% white, 7% African American on the slide presented); Melanie said Hispanic/Latino reporting in her slide used ethnicity categories and that the committee had requested clarifying detail. Senator Osgood and others asked whether the program receives hospital referrals and whether demographic skew may reflect self‑selection or differences in referrals; Brownwofer said hospital referrals are not a major source and that self‑referral and court referral patterns affect the observed demographics.

Senators also asked about program access in jails and the benefits of beginning long‑acting injectable treatment prior to release. Brownwofer said on‑jail dosing and warm handoffs to community providers help retention and reduce post‑release overdose risk.

Committee members requested additional demographic breakdowns to reconcile race and ethnicity fields. No committee votes were taken on the MAT program during the hearing.","Florida Behavioral Health Association described a decade‑long medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) program run under contract with the Office of the State Courts Administrator, reporting higher engagement and longer average stays but prompting senators to question demographic reporting and representation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

State courts tell Senate panel they need richer case-level data to measure performance

FDLE briefs Senate panel on strategic plan, SAFE fentanyl operations, forensic capacity and data modernization

Behavioral health association says state MAT program expanded network, improved retention; senators press for clearer race and ethnicity data