TAMPA, FL – Continuing its ongoing work to build trust between our community and our justice system, the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office is now accepting applications to join the office’s Community Council.
This group of 20 people, made up of Hillsborough County residents and representatives from key organizations, will engage directly with the office’s senior leaders and get an in-depth look at how prosecutions are handled and decisions are made.
Members of the Council will meet with SAO representatives every other month for candid discussions—providing feedback from the community on justice issues and learning information from SAO staff on the policies and programs that shape how cases are prosecuted. Council membership is a two-year commitment and members are expected to share their ideas and concerns about how the justice system impacts their communities and organizations.
“Transparency builds trust,” Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said. “We are in the middle of a nationwide moment, with historic opportunities to improve our justice system. The Community Council lets us bring in more voices, so we can understand what’s affecting people in our communities—and at the same time, give them a window into the work we’re already doing to create a safer, stronger Hillsborough County.”
The office’s first Community Council served from 2018-2020 and explored the office’s entire approach to promoting public safety, from how prosecutors prepare for high-profile trials to programs that divert first-time juvenile offenders away from the downward spiral of the justice system.
Community members can apply now to join the State Attorney’s Office Community Council for 2021–2023 on the State Attorney’s Office website at sao13th.com.
The application deadline is Thursday, May 13, 2021.
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