Florida Justice Institute

Florida Justice Institute The Florida Justice Institute uses impact litigation and advocacy to improve the lives of all Floridians. The Florida Justice Institute, Inc.

(FJI) was founded in 1978 by Roderick N. Petrey while serving as Executive Vice President of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in New York City. Rod was and still is a leading figure in securing funding for public interest law programs across the country. Upon leaving the Clark Foundation to enter the private practice of law in Miami, Rod was given a start-up grant to establish FJI. Rod’s initia

l mission for FJI, a private, not-for-profit, public interest law organization, was to:
1. Improve the administration of justice for all Floridians;
2. Encourage better representation of citizens’ interests; and
3. Increase the ability of citizens to resolve disputes quickly and inexpensively. FJI was to accomplish these goals by working with existing organizations to identify major, unmet needs in the community and address them with advocacy and litigation. FJI’s initial Board of Directors, in addition to Rod, included LeRoy Collins, former Governor and Undersecretary of Commerce; Chesterfield Smith, former President of The Florida Bar and American Bar Association and managing partner at Holland & Knight; John Edward Smith, a partner at Steel Hector & Davis; Hugh McMillan, Jr., former Legislative Counsel for Governor Askew and in private practice; and Eleanor Mitchell Hunter, Assistant General Counsel to the Governor and eventual Executive Director of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners. After incorporating the organization, establishing the Board, and obtaining section 501(c)(3) charitable status, FJI hired Randall C. “Randy” Berg, Jr. in 1978 to be its Executive Director, a position he held until his retirement at the end of 2018. Randy sadly passed away in April of 2019.

06/01/2026

The Florida Justice Institute mourns the loss of Ruth Shack, a trailblazer for civil rights in Miami-Dade County.

As a County Commissioner in 1977, Ruth championed an amendment to Miami-Dade's Human Rights Ordinance to protect residents from discrimination in housing and other areas of life. It was a bold stand that shaped the community we live in today.

Her later work leading The Miami Foundation carried that same
commitment to building a more just and equitable South Florida.

Ruth's legacy is a reminder that lasting change requires people willing to act when it matters most.

Our thoughts are with her family and all who carry her work forward.

See the full obituary at linkin.bio/fji

Media description:
A photo of Ruth Shack fills the frame above text that reads, "In honor of Ruth Shack, Trailblazer for civil rights"

05/26/2026

We want to continue to raise awareness during May by looking back at the passage of the Tristin Murphy Act.

Thanks to the efforts of the Murphy family, people are now screened for mental health issues early in the custody process so that they can get the care they need and deserve.

Training, funding, and other measures were also implemented to create mental health diversion programs and teach first responders about de-escalation.

Last year, Tristin's mother, Cindee Murphy, sat down with CBS to talk about what the moment meant to her.

We are honored to have been a part in getting the Tristin Murphy Act passed, and we’ll continue to advocate for mental healthcare access going forward.

Media description: A CBS interview with Cindee Murphy plays on screen above text that reads, "Looking back on the passage of the Tristin Murphy Act"

05/25/2026

Today we honor the people who gave their lives in service to this country.

Honoring them can mean more than flags and ceremony. It should include making sure veterans have real access to housing, healthcare, and mental health support when they need it.

Too many veterans return home to face housing insecurity, untreated trauma, and systems that are not built to serve them.

That gap between the rhetoric and the reality is where the harm can happen.

Media description: Memorial flags are pictured above text that reads, "Honoring sacrifice and service this Memorial Day"

05/22/2026

Summer in Florida is brutal. For people experiencing homelessness, the elderly, and people inside state prisons with no air conditioning, it can be deadly.

Florida’s heat and humidity combine in a way that overwhelms the body fast. There is no safe way to endure it without relief.

FJI is in court pushing for better conditions in Florida prisons. And our housing advocacy work fights to make sure no one is forced to face that heat on the street without options.

Learn more about both fights at linkin.bio/fji

Media description: A motion graphic showing high temperatures in Florida reads, “Florida's summer heat is a public health emergency. Extreme heat causes an additional 600 deaths per year in Miami-Dade alone.”

05/21/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. We want to remind everyone that mental healthcare still needs to improve for our most vulnerable populations.

Progress has been made. But for people inside Florida’s prisons and jails, people without a place to call home, and for people with disabilities, mental health care access still needs to improve.

The Tristin Murphy Act was a step forward. More training, better procedures, expanded access to care. FJI was proud to support the Murphy family in making that happen.

There is still more ground to cover, both inside prisons and out.

Follow to see us keep pushing for access to mental healthcare.

Media description: An illustration of a healthy mind is above text that reads, “May is Mental Health Awareness Month”

05/19/2026

Happy birthday to FJI paralegal and Pro Bono Manager Bethell Forbes!

Learn more about our amazing team and the work they do at FJI.law

Media description: A photo of Bethell is below text that reads, “Happy Birthday, Bethell Forbes! Paralegal/Pro Bono Manager”

05/19/2026

A person inside a Florida prison described what sleeping with a CPAP machine feels like in the summer: suffocation instead of rest.

They need the machine to breathe. But the heat and humidity turn the mask into a trap, soaking with sweat until it feels like they are being waterboarded just to stay alive.

This is what people are enduring every summer while FJI is actively fighting to change it.

Read the full piece in the FPEP Post at the link in bio.

Media description: Michelle is facing the camera as she reads from the FPEP Post.

05/15/2026

Elmer Williams spent years in a Florida prison while battling terminal cancer. In 2022, FJI attorney Erica Downs secured his compassionate release.

Getting Elmer home took more than legal work. FJI’s Carly Carrillo helped transport him from a prison in Northwest Florida in a rented van, the only way he could safely travel. Donor support paid for that van and for retrofitting his sister’s home to accommodate his wheelchair.

There are others like Elmer still waiting. FJI is fighting for them, but we need your help to keep doing it.

Support our compassionate release work at linkin.bio/fji

Media description: A video plays on screen showing Elmer’s reunion with his family and starting his journey home.

05/14/2026

Access to justice is deeply connected to public health. That’s why we are excited to welcome Dr. Mfon Ekong to our Board of Directors.

Dr. Ekong is an academic pediatrician whose career spans healthcare delivery, education, and health policy. She holds an MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and currently works with a health plan at a major university system, where she applies clinical expertise to advance equitable care.

Her focus on how policy shapes outcomes for children and communities aligns directly with the work FJI does every day.

Welcome, Dr. Ekong. We are glad to have you!

See Dr. Ekong's full bio and learn more about the people behind FJI at FJI.law

Media description: Dr. Mfon's photo appears below text announcing her joining the FJI Board of Directors.

05/13/2026

At our Signature Event, we featured work from students of Exchange for Change, one of our award recipients.

“Broken Mirror” was written by Jennifer Sparks, a student in the Exchange for Change program.

Our Intake Coordinator, Olivia Joseph, recorded a reading of the poem to bring Jennifer’s words to a wider audience.

Exchange for Change teaches college-level writing inside Florida prisons and connects students with university writers through anonymous letter exchanges.

Their work proves that every person has something worth saying.

Learn more about Exchange for Change at exchange-for-change.org

Media description: The poem titled "Broken Mirror" appears on screen as it is read aloud.

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Miami, FL
33128

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+13053582081

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