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TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys today announced that the Council has released its annual report for 2008. The report covers the topics addressed by the Council’s five subcommittees on improving economic outcomes, improving educational outcomes, improving health status, legislative review, criminal justice, and improving foster care and family issues.

“It is important to bring together the people and the resources needed to help today's youth make the choices that will send their lives in a positive direction,” said Attorney General McCollum. “I look forward to seeing this Council work toward improving the conditions for Black men and boys in this state.”

For its second annual report, the Council examined some of the factors perceived to impact the conditions of the social status of Black males in the nation, and particularly in the state of Florida. The report is designed to address the Council’s statutory charge and to provide a foundation upon which the Council and the Florida stakeholders can not only continue to research and collect necessary data, but can also use to take immediate action for the implementation of the recommendations for change discussed in the report.

The annual report is available on the Council’s website, http://www.cssbmb.com, which includes its statutory authority, mission statement, council members’ directory, and news releases as well as links to many resources valuable to its mission.

The Council is committed to developing dynamic recommendations to change the social paradigms in education, health, and economics and to improve the overall well-being of this population through long-term committed efforts in the legislature and individual communities throughout Florida. One of the recommendations in the report is the suggestion that smaller local councils be created in each of Florida’s 67 counties to create a network for communication, education and action. The Council has repeatedly stressed the importance of community support in the efforts to raise awareness about the socioeconomic conditions affecting Black men and boys in the state of Florida.

The Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys is housed in the Office of the Attorney General. Created by the Legislature during the 2006 Legislative Session, the Council is charged with making a systematic study of the conditions affecting Black men and boys including homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rate, poverty, violence, drug abuse, death rates, disparate annual income levels, health issues and school performance. The goal of the Council is to propose measures to alleviate and correct the underlying causes of the conditions described above. These measures may consist of changes to the law or systematic changes that can be implemented without legislative action.

The Council’s next full meeting will be in May in Jacksonville. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the recommendations included in the report. The meeting is open to the public.