During the last legislative session, Senator Darryl Rouson and Representative Berny Jacques secured $1.2 million in state funding for the Gateway Peer Specialist Pilot Program. The initiative will train low-level inmates to serve as Peer Specialists who can support people struggling with substance abuse and mental illness.

The program was first authorized by the House in 2023 and intended to begin immediately in partnership with the Department of Corrections.

However, it stalled after legislative staff noted that the original bill contained no appropriations. Without dedicated funding, the Department of Corrections would have been required to absorb the cost using existing resources.

Staff further warned that doing so “may have a negative yet indeterminant fiscal impact” on the agency. The program was therefore delayed until funding could be formally approved in this year’s budget.

Governor Ron DeSantis ultimately signed off on the $1.2 million allocation, allowing the pilot to move forward at last.

Jacques publicly thanked DeSantis in a social media post writing that “treatment services from a peer who’s been through the same struggle can be an effective tool in reducing crime in our state … Lives will be changed and public safety will be strengthened.”

A photo accompanying the post shows Jacques and Rouson side by side holding an oversized ceremonial check, representing the program’s funding.

For Rouson, the initiative reflects his longstanding belief that treatment and recovery should outweigh punishment. He has spoken openly about his own history with addiction and has spent decades working in recovery and advocacy.

His work has included involvement with One Church-One Addict, efforts to expand services for people with mental health and substance use challenges and collaborations across the Tampa Bay region. The University of South Florida’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Research Center is named in his honor.

Securing funding for the Gateway Peer Specialist Pilot Program adds another accomplishment to his record as he approaches the end of his final Senate term in 2026.

Jacques and Rouson were not immediately available for comment.