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 August
3, 2011
Since the death of youth Eric Perez at the Palm Beach Regional Juvenile Detention facility on July 10, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) has been actively investigating how and why this incident occurred. In addition to the inquiry being conducted by our Inspector General’s Office, separate investigations are underway by the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit and the West Palm Beach Police Department.
In the short term, DJJ’s primary responsibility in this tragic
incident is to ensure that these investigations proceed without
delay or impairment. We won’t rest until every question about
Eric’s death is answered
In the long term, we are determined to implement meaningful reforms that comprehensively improve how we serve the youth in our care and all our stakeholders. These include the expansion of civil citation and other innovative diversion practices to stem the flow of first-time misdemeanant youth into the system; detention reform, including the development of real alternatives to detention, to fuel continued reductions in unnecessary and inappropriate detention; and right-sizing residential care to invest more deeply in community-based sanctions that hold youth accountable, protect public safety, create jobs and promote healthy futures for children.
Since July 10, DJJ has released to the news media more than 900 pages of internal documents related to Eric’s death. I have spoken directly with journalists throughout Florida on the matter and we will continue to comply with all public record requests made of us.
While I am committed to transparency in how we operate, I am also mindful that three investigations into this incident are underway, two of which are being conducted by law enforcement agencies. Nothing we say or do must compromise their work. Once these investigations are complete, we at DJJ will have much more to say about the incident itself and the steps we have taken to make us the national role model for juvenile justice administration.
In the meantime, I again offer my sincere condolences to Eric’s family.
Wansley Walters
Secretary
Past Announcements
»
Message from Secretary Walters 8-3-2011
»
Message from Secretary Walters 7-20-2011
»
Prudential-Davis Productivity Awards 2011
»
Risk Management Award of Excellence for 2010
»
Secretary Walters Staff Announcements
»
Annual Report 2010
»
Agency Training on Federal Civil Rights
»
DJJ Wins Gold Award of Distinction for Loss Prevention
»
Eat Right! Nutrition from the Ground Up
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