A routine meeting of the Florida House of Representatives’ Justice Budget Subcommittee turned into a surprise celebration Wednesday as representatives acknowledged Thomas Blomberg’s research and public service in criminal justice education.
Blomberg is the dean and Sheldon L. Messinger Professor of Criminology at Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice (CCCJ).
Rep. Kimberly Daniels is a CCCJ alumna and the ranking Democratic member on the subcommittee. In addressing the room, Daniels commended Blomberg’s achievements in criminal justice education and noted his profound impact in the field — and on her life.
Daniels spoke about how as a star track athlete at FSU in the early 1980s she fell prey to substance abuse. She credited Blomberg with being a “hard” presence in her life that spurred her toward graduation and a life of service.
“Around 1983, I took your corrections course; you were my professor,” she said. “I was living a double life, going to school in daytime and on the streets at night.”
Daniels began recovery and eventually served in the military in Desert Storm in 1991. During that time, she contacted Blomberg about completing the three courses she needed to earn her bachelor’s degree in criminology.
“I asked if you’d allow me to take those courses, and you did,” she said. “I wanted to thank you for being a key catalyst for my second chance.”
Blomberg, who was unaware of the impending recognition, offered his thanks to Daniels and the members of the subcommittee.
“Kimberly, this is just a wonderful story and sometimes in your life you get those keys that signal you’ve done the right thing and, well, you’re the example,” he said. “I’m just so grateful for your success. Thank you very much. This is beyond words.”
Blomberg added with a laugh: “I was wondering why I was supposed to be here; I didn’t even wear a tie.”
He was accompanied by his wife, Jeanne, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, also an alumnus, during the festivities.
Blomberg is a three-degree graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, including a doctorate in criminology. He joined the CCCJ faculty in 1974 and became dean of the college in 2003.
Among Blomberg’s most impactful projects is the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program (JJEEP). From 1998 to 2010, JJEEP developed, implemented and maintained a research-driven system that guided policy and improved educational program performance for thousands of Florida delinquent and at-risk youths. At its peak, there were more than 200 JJEEP programs, serving 30,000 youths each year.
Blomberg has delivered multiple reports and presentations to the Florida Legislature and the U.S. Congress and received federal funding to promote JJEEP models throughout the country.
More recently, Blomberg has been at the forefront of research into financial fraud and exploitation of older adults, as director of the Aging Adult Fraud Research and Policy Institute, which is housed in the college’s Center for Criminology and Public Policy Research.