A Florida state senator filed a bill Tuesday that would allow certain convicted criminals to enlist in the military instead of going to jail or prison.
Florida Senator Darryl Rouson filed Senate Bill 1356, which would allow defendants who are 25 years old or younger to enlist in the military if the offense is a misdemeanor. Potential applicants must also not face incarceration longer than 4 years or be habitual offenders to be allowed to choose military service.
The bill goes further and will not allow defendants to choose military service if the primary offense doesn’t require a mandatory minimum prison sentence.
Certain criminal offenders could opt for a hitch in the military over jail time, under a proposal filed for the upcoming legislative session. https://t.co/21pYOgwrv0
— CBS4 Miami (@CBSMiami) December 22, 2021
Applicants for military service must earn a “minimum acceptable score” on the ASVAB test and complete both basic training and their first term of enlistment. All fines related to the charges must also be paid off by the end of the first term of enlistment.
Florida Representative Patricia Williams also filed a similar bill in September, according to CBS Miami. Florida’s 2022 legislative session begins Jan. 11. (RELATED: Fewer Than 100 Military Service Members Were Accused Of Extremist Activity This Past Year, But The Pentagon Is Cracking Down Anyway)
Rouson did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller for comment.