Florida has roughly 600 inmates whose life sentences, received when they were juveniles, are potentially affected by court rulings mandating a second look at their cases.
Two U.S. Supreme Court rulings have determined it unconstitutional to impose life sentences without a chance for parole for juveniles convicted of homicide.
Such sentences amount to cruel and unusual punishment, according to the rulings. They also state courts must recognize teens' incomplete brain development and potential for rehabilitation.
A state law passed three years ago says those terms are to be automatically reviewed by a circuit court judge after 15, 20 or 25 years served, depending on the crime. And Florida state Supreme Court ruled that the reviews should be extended to those former teen offenders who were already in prison before the law was changed.
But so far only about 85 of those inmates have been resentenced.
The slow pace stems from a variety of factors, including a lack of money for prosecutors and public defenders to revisit the cases quickly.
Public defenders asked legislators for nearly $8 million in 2017 to tackle all the case reviews, but the request was rejected.
State Sen. Aaron Bean, who oversees the criminal justice budget committee, says there is money set aside in this year's budget to help out if caseloads become overwhelming.