Florida juvenile delinquency programs

Background screenings are required for all DJJ employees. Find out more. Show your support! Prevent juvenile crime and help your community with the purchase of an Invest in Children license plate. As a "Friend of Juvenile Justice," your volunteer service or gift can have a lasting positive impact on the lives of Florida's at-risk children and their families. The Foundation serves to changes lives - the lives of students, their parents, and the citizens in our community - by promoting delinquency prevention, intervention and educational opportunities for youth.

Make a difference in the lives of at-risk kids. Become a DJJ volunteer! Become a partner and inspire! Learn how your organization can work with DJJ to help youth in your community. The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of , as amended, provides for the federal funding of local delinquency prevention programs. In accordance with the Act, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention OJJDP , a branch of the federal Department of Justice, provides funds to states for delinquency prevention research, planning, programming and evaluation.

The Title II Formula Grants Program is funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention OJJDP which provides grant dollars to states and territories that support state and local delinquency prevention and intervention efforts and juvenile justice system improvements.

Funds are administered through sub-grants to units of local government, local private agencies, community and faith-based organizations, and Indian tribes for delinquency prevention and intervention service to youth and families. When a youth is taken into custody for committing a delinquent act or is charged with a violation of law, the youth may be given a civil citation for a first-time misdemeanor offense, released to a probation office, released to an alternative diversion program, or taken to a Juvenile Assessment Center JAC for further evaluation.

If the youth is held in detention care after evaluation by the JPO, the court must hold a detention hearing within 24 hours. At the hearing, a judge will determine whether there is reason to detain the youth and for how long. The judge may order the youth to a diversion program, may order the youth be detained for further juvenile court proceedings, or may allow time for the State Attorney to petition for the youth to be tried in adult court.

Generally, with a few exceptions, a youth may be held in detention care for no more than 21 days unless an adjudicatory hearing for the case has been commenced. If the youth is detained and a petition for delinquency is filed, an arraignment hearing must be held within 48 hours after the filing of the petition for delinquency.

The arraignment hearing is held for the youth to respond to the allegations in the petition for delinquency. If the youth admits to the allegations in the petition, the court may move directly to a disposition hearing, or the court may order a predisposition report and schedule a disposition hearing for the earliest practicable time. If the youth denies the allegations in the petition or is nonresponsive, the court will schedule an adjudicatory hearing.

Adjudicatory hearings are conducted by a judge without a jury. The State has the burden of proof and must prove the allegations in the petition for delinquency beyond a reasonable doubt. The youth is entitled to the opportunity to introduce evidence, to testify in her or his own behalf, and to cross-examine witnesses. The youth is also afforded all rights against self-incrimination. If the court finds that the youth has not committed a delinquent act or violation of law, it shall enter an order so finding and dismiss the case.

If the court finds that the youth has committed a delinquent act or violation of law, the court may adjudicate the youth delinquent or withhold adjudication. A disposition hearing will then be scheduled for the imposition of sanctions.

Principal Investigator: Thomas Blomberg, Ph. Messinger Professor of Criminology. The major objectives included ensuring that each juvenile justice educational program in the State of Florida accomplished the following: abided by all federal and state laws related to the educational process and the policies, rules, and regulations of the FLDOE; provided the appropriate entry, on-site, and exit transition services for all students; provided appropriate educational opportunities for students that include curriculum offerings, appropriate instructional delivery, classroom management, support services, and community support; provided appropriate administrative activities that include smooth communication between all parties, employment of qualified personnel, opportunities for professional development, program evaluations, and reasonable funding and support and school district provided necessary support and resources, which include maintaining an appropriate contract or cooperative agreement, providing local oversight and adequate support.

Probation and Community Intervention works with youth from the time they are arrested to the time they transition back into the community.

The Office of Residential Services provides continued care for an adjudicated youth who is committed to the custody of the Department. Outside of the core program areas, the bureaus for administration, inspector general, general services, staff development, legislative affairs, and research help keep DJJ running smoothly.

Juvenile Probation Officers JPO assess the needs and risks of youth entering the juvenile justice system. Browse online health tips and resources by topic in the Health Initiatives section. Access select briefing sheets and presentations generated by the Office of Research and Data Integrity and examine five year trends and conditions.

In order to protect the rights of the youth, the IRB carefully reviews each research proposal. Learn more about juvenile recidivism in Florida, current youth program performance, delinquency in schools, and the disproportionate involvement of minorities with DJJ. The Bureau of Human Resources oversees employee relations, payroll, benefits, recruitment, and many other tasks for the DJJ employees. The Department of Juvenile Justice is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in all employment practices, privileges, and benefits.

Background screenings are required for all DJJ employees. Find out more. Show your support! Prevent juvenile crime and help your community with the purchase of an Invest in Children license plate.