ORLANDO, Fla. — State Attorney Andrew Bain has been working with five nonprofits on a new pre-trial diversion program.

What You Need To Know

  • State Attorney Andrew Bain has been working with five nonprofits on a pre-trial diversion program

  • One nonprofit working with Bain, Operation New Hope, will help those referred from the state attorney’s diversion programs
  • The nonprofit’s statewide reentry, transition and wraparound services, support and train people who return home after leaving jails and prisons

This second-chance program will roll out in two phases, with the first phase tentatively scheduled in December.

One nonprofit working with Bain, Operation New Hope, will help those referred from the state attorney’s diversion programs.

Operation New Hope, the nonprofit’s statewide reentry, transition and wraparound services, support and train people who return home after leaving jails and prisons.

An Orlando man shares his experience returning to the community after 10 years in prison. Julien Key has been out of prison since June 4, 2023, after a robbery conviction.

He says he’s turned to God for comfort after struggling with drugs and addiction for years that led him to trouble.

“I just started doing little crimes that turned into bigger crimes and ended up kind of getting out of control, and ended up catching a few years; catching 10 years,” said Key.

Key’s prior charges are nonviolent. After prison, he moved back to Orlando with his cousin.

“And then I get out and I’m like, ‘What do I do?’ And so I had no choice but to pray, and I’m here. I made it through,” said Key.

Key completed Operation New Hope’s Ready4Work career development training in Orlando for three weeks. The nonprofit opened a program center in the city in September 2022.

So far, it has helped 250 returning citizens sign up for their Ready4Work program. Key is one of them.

“I learned resume building, technology class and financial literacy,” said Key.

In October, he became a chef at AdventHealth.

“They linked me to a culinary program and the culinary program actually led me to this job at AdventHealth,” said Key.

He has access to case management, mental health counseling, and career counseling for a full year from his enrollment, a steppingstone to get back into society.

Key reflects on the importance of his job and the purpose it’s given him.

“You have patients here at the hospital. There are families come in, they’re going through it. So if I see that, they may say something. I get a name and I pray for them,” said Key.

Key said his job has been a blessing and credits God for his success.

“Without that, there’s no telling how long you’ll make it on your own. But once you realize that God’s with you, then you’ll make it,” said Key.

Nonprofit officials say they’re ready and able to accept diversion clients into their Ready4Work program as soon as the state attorney’s office refers them.

At Operation New Hope’s Ready4Work Jacksonville program center, they expect to serve over 500 Ready4Work clients this year.

The nonprofit will open their newest Ready4Work program center in Tampa in 2024.

The state attorney is also working with other nonprofits, including Recovery Connections of Central Florida, Florida Economic Consortium Inc., CareerSource Of Central Florida and The Hope Partnership.

In a statement, Operation New Hope said in part, “With the skills learned and confidence gained through our Ready4Work program, our participants go on to become productive community members with successful careers. We are thrilled to be partnering with the state attorney’s office to offer training and support to pretrial diversion clients,” said Amanda Mahan, chief communications officer at Operation New Hope.

The state attorney’s office stated its adult civil citation will expand under Bain’s new diversion program to include the entire circuit.

“Previously, it was a pilot program only available through Kissimmee PD and Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Soon, it will be available to all law enforcement agencies in the circuit. An officer can elect to issue a civil citation to an adult with no adult criminal history for the lowest level offenses instead of arresting or issuing a notice to appear,” said Sydney McCloud, director of communications for the Office of Andrew Bain’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, in an email.

McCloud said traditionally, violent offenders do not quality for diversion programs and repeat offenders cannot receive a diversion for the same offense.