Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren joins other prosecutors in protesting Jeff Sessions' 'tough-on-crime' policy

TAMPA — Andrew Warren, the state attorney for Hillsborough County, is among signers of a letter from 31 district prosecutors nationwide voicing opposition to the tough-on-crime policies of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The letter was released Friday by the nonprofit Fair and Just Prosecution, a national network of newly elected top prosecutors. It was composed in response to a Justice Department directive earlier this month requiring federal prosecutors "to charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense," which are defined as those crimes that carry the heaviest sentences.

"The Attorney General's directive marks an unnecessary and unfortunate return to past 'tough on crime' practices that we now know simply don't enhance or promote the safety of our communities," the letter stated. "There is no empirical evidence to suggest that increases in sentences, particularly for low-level offenses, decrease the crime rate."

It goes on to state that the deterrent effect of long prison sentences on crime is "questionable at best," while sending people to prison comes with significant costs.

The signers pledge to support the "safety, fair treatment and dignity of all members of our community" and "innovative approaches" to achieving justice. It mentions specifically the need to offer treatment and rehabilitation programs for low-level drug offenders and the mentally ill.

READ THE DOCUMENT: Open letter to state and local prosecutors

As independently elected state officials, the letter's signers are not bound by Sessions' directive.

Warren said Monday he heard about the letter through regular contacts he maintains with other state attorneys and criminal justice groups throughout the country.

He signed it, he said, "to express my concerns for a return to failed criminal justice policies of the past that undermine public safety."

"Proponents claim that this type of policy is 'tough on crime,'" he said. "But in reality it's a one-size-fits-all approach that is outdated, wasteful, and ineffective."

Warren, 40, took office as Hillsborough County's top prosecutor in January after narrowly defeating longtime incumbent Mark Ober in a hotly contested campaign. A former federal prosecutor, Warren sought to position himself as a progressive reformer amid a national conversation about the criminal justice system.

He was one of two Florida state attorneys to sign the letter. The other is Aramis Ayala, the state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. Ayala has drawn national attention recently for her refusal to pursue the death penalty, a position that has put her in the middle of a fight in the state Supreme Court against Gov. Rick Scott.

Among the other signers were top prosecutors in Los Angeles, New York City and Washington D.C.