FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 9, 2012 

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Nov. 9, 2012) – Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Secretary Wansley Walters was one of eight recipients of the 2012 Juvenile Justice Without Borders International Award presented by the International Juvenile Justice Observatory (IJJO) during the International Youth Justice Convention.

The IJJO grants the award once every two years to individuals and organizations for outstanding achievements in juvenile justice research, advocacy and intervention under the auspices of the United Nations.

“This prestigious honor means that Florida is doing its utmost to provide the right service to the right youth at the right time,” said Walters. “Using data and research to drive decisions and verify outcomes, Florida strives to lead the nation in its juvenile justice reforms. I am profoundly grateful to the IJJO for recognizing Florida’s leadership in juvenile justice and this award confirms that we at DJJ are on the correct path.”

Also among the award recipients were Tawatchai Thaikyo, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice in Thailand. Thaikyo said Walters’ leadership of the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department prior to her appointment as DJJ secretary inspired him to work for juvenile justice reform in Thailand.

Other recipients included Georges Loinger of France, who organized the escape of Jewish children from Germany into France and Switzerland during World War Two, and Dr. Jaap E. Doek of Amsterdam, a founding member of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

For more information on recipients, click here.

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