DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice was
created by the Juvenile Justice Act of 1994. The
secretary of the department is appointed by the
governor and is charged with planning and managing
all programs and services in the juvenile justice
system.
The juvenile justice system begins in communities
with prevention programs designed to help keep
youths from becoming involved in criminal behavior.
Once a youth commits a delinquent act, sanctions
such as early intervention, diversion, and
commitment programs provide consequences and
redirect youths from criminal behavior. As a final
component of the system, aftercare programs are
designed to help youths successfully return to
society. All of these programs work together to
provide a series of services and opportunities for
youths to change their behavior and make positive
life choices.
JUVENILE JUSTICE CIRCUITS
Services to juveniles are provided within 20 circuits,
each headed by a chief probation officer who is
responsible for developing coordinated and
comprehensive services. The department operates a
number of programs; however, it contracts with
private providers to operate the majority of
residential
and
non-residential
commitment
programs located in each Circuit. Circuit staffs work
closely with local community partners to identify
and provide programs and services.
PARTNERS
Partnerships are created at all levels, Providing
public participation in the decision-making process
with input from civic organizations, schools, law
enforcement, the judiciary, state and local
government,
faith
communities,
businesses,
community leaders, parents and youths.
Juvenile Justice Boards and Councils – The Florida
Legislature established circuit juvenile justice
boards and authorized juvenile justice councils at
the county level.
Each county council selects
representatives to serve on the circuit board. The
boards and councils serve as advisors to the
Department of Juvenile Justice and work closely
with the Juvenile Justice Community Relations and
Information Sharing Program (JJCRISP) Coordinators,
the Delinquency Prevention Specialist and other
community stakeholders to develop services that
meet the identified needs of juveniles and families
within their local communities.
prevention, individual, group and family counseling,
and temporary residential services.
Florida Business Partners of Juvenile Justice Inc. –
The mission of the Florida Business Partners of
Juvenile Justice Inc. organization is to encourage
and cultivate the involvement of Florida businesses
and their employees in juvenile justice issues at the
state and local levels. The organization focuses its
efforts on the creation, promotion and support
quality initiatives designed to prevent young people
from engaging in behaviors and activities, which lead
to their entry into the criminal justice system.
Civil Citation is an option for law enforcement to
divert from the formal juvenile justice system youths
committing minor offenses.
Law enforcement
officials may issue a citation as an alternative to
taking youths into custody.
Youths perform
community service hours.
Faith Community Network – The Department of
Juvenile Justice supports faith-based organizations
in their efforts to develop, maintain and implement
programs designed to meet the needs of youths and
their families. The Network also works to establish
positive, proactive relationships with faith leaders,
encouraging their involvement in the juvenile justice
system.
This includes recruitment of faith
community volunteers to work with youths, both atrisk and delinquent.
Volunteers, Interns & Mentors – Volunteers serve as
mentors or role models for youths; organize sports or
recreational activities; teach art, drama, or music
classes; assist with religious programming; and offer
advice on job preparation and employment
opportunities. Interns earn college credits in the
fields of juvenile justice, social work, and child and
family sciences by working in the department’s
programs or with service providers.
PREVENTION
Prevention and early intervention of delinquency is
the first step toward a safer community. The
department provides a number of services designed
to prevent youths from entering the juvenile justice
system, such as after-school tutoring and life skills
programs. The department also oversees several
state and federal grant programs that fund
community-based prevention and early intervention
programs.
CINS/FINS – Children-In-Need-of-Services and
Families-In-Need-of-Services
is
a
prevention
program that assists families when youths exhibit atrisk behavior, such as running away, truancy, or
ungovernability. The department contracts with
private agencies throughout Florida to operate
runaway shelters and to provide CINS/FINS services
24 hours a day. Services include outreach and
Delinquency Prevention Grant Programs consist of
community-based and family-based programs serving
more than 40,000 youth annually. On average, less
than 10 percent of these youth are referred for
delinquency within six months of completing a
program.
Targeting is a major component to our programs.
Target the right youth – Delinquency prevention
programs should focus their efforts on those youth
most likely to become chronic juvenile offenders.
Target the right communities – Delinquency
prevention programs focus their efforts on those
communities where the most youth are referred for
delinquency charges. Targeting funding to researchbased programs – The Department will fund programs
that have been proven to significantly help prevent
and reduce juvenile crime and the risk factors that
contribute to delinquency.
Delinquency Prevention Grants focus on staying in
school, getting a job, keeping busy and living
violence free. Currently, the Office of Prevention
and Victim Services is funding over 120 grants.
Neighborhood Accountability Boards recognize that
crime causes injury to people and communities, and
that the victim and the community need to
participate
in
the
accountability
process.
Community volunteers are trained to review
information from the victim and the youth for the
purpose of building sanctions that the community
finds to “fit the crime” and then monitors
completion of those sanctions.
PACE Center for Girls, Inc. focuses on quality,
gender-responsive, school-based programs for at-risk
girls that produce life-changing opportunities. PACE
is a leader in recognizing that to be effective with
girls, prevention programming needs to be truly
gender specific. Since its conception, PACE has
expanded to 19 direct care and 2 outreach locations
throughout the state of Florida.
PACE’s secret to success is to truly understand the
relationship between victimization and female
juvenile crime, creating a safe, nurturing
environment for these girls to share their stories and
begin the healing process. The philosophy of PACE is
to value all girls and young women. Throughout the
program a strength-based approach is used, which
focuses on the potential of each girl not the poor
choices she may make.
ENTERING THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
A youth enters the juvenile justice system when
taken into custody by law enforcement and charged
with a delinquent act.
Juvenile Assessment Centers (JACs) are central
intake and screening units for youths referred to the
department for a law violation. The JAC is the
front-line partnership with local law enforcement,
school system personnel, substance abuse treatment
programs, mental health providers, court personnel,
and other entities to meet the needs of delinquent
youths. JACs provide a uniform point of entry into
the juvenile justice system.
However, each
assessment center is designed with the specific
needs of the local community in mind.
PROBATION & COMMUNITY INTERVENTION Juvenile
Probation Officers are department staff in each
community assigned to two major functions: initial
screening and assessment and supervision of those
youth ordered by the court to Probation. The tasks
assigned to Juvenile Probation Officers include
assessing a youth for a risk and need classifications,
identifying the strengths of the youth and his or her
family, preparing predisposition reports based upon
the assessment for the court, making service
referrals, monitoring the youth’s progress and
sanctions, and supervising the youth at home, in
school and in the community.
The Probation
branch is also responsible for providing aftercare
supervision for a youth re-entering the community
from a residential facility.
DETENTION
Detention is the placement of a youth in the
department’s care, custody and control while
awaiting court action or placement in a commitment
program. Youths must meet statutory criteria to be
placed in detention care. Detention is classified as
secure, non-secure, or home detention.
Secure Detention is the temporary custody of
youths within the physical restrictions of a detention
center or facility pending adjudication, disposition,
or placement.
Home Detention is applies when youths are released
to the custody of parents, a guardian, or a custodian
in
a
non-restrictive
environment
pending
adjudication, disposition, or placement.
Florida Department of
Juvenile Justice
Rick Scott, Governor
Wansley Walters, Secretary
COMMITMENT
Under Florida law, the courts commit youths to a
wide range of programs. There are five categories
of commitment programs and facilities. All but the
minimum risk level involves removal of the youth
from his home and community and placement in a
residential facility.
Examples of commitment
programs include: day treatment, family group
homes, wilderness programs, boot camps, halfway
houses, intensive vocational work programs, serious
habitual offender programs, and sex offender
programs. Juvenile correctional facilities are for the
most serious, chronic and violent juvenile offenders.
AFTER RELEASE FROM COMMITMENT
The services provided after a youth has been
incarcerated are a vital component in the successful
transition of youths from commitment programs to
the community. Services include referrals to local
agencies for substance abuse and mental health
treatment, individual and family counseling, victim
restitution, and community service.
SPECIALIZED SERVICES
Specialized services are generally provided in
conjunction with existing programs or facilities –
from prevention to aftercare. Some of the types of
specialized programs or services are described
below.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse are specialized
services provided at every stage of the juvenile
justice system for those youths with identified
needs. These services and counseling programs are
available in various settings.
Girls Programming is provided in response to the
rising rate of females entering the juvenile justice
system. The department has increased efforts to
provide specialized programs and services to address
some of the unique needs facing girls in juvenile
justice facilities.
Additionally, the department
provides training and technical assistance to staff
and providers to better understand the needs of
girls.
VISION
The children and families of Florida will live in
safe, nurturing communities that provide for
their needs, recognize their strengths and
support their success.
MISSION
To increase public safety by reducing juvenile
delinquency through effective prevention,
intervention and treatment services that
strengthen families and turn around the lives of
troubled youth.
http://www.djj.state.fl.us