Central Communications Center
Incident Hotline: 1-800-355-2280
Want to know how to seal or expunge your criminal record? Visit the For Youth section for more information on youth records.
Find DJJ-funded programs in your area using the Program & Facility Locator.
Juvenile Justice Boards & Councils focus on crime prevention in their local communities.
Review DJJ forms by office or by subject. Forms are available for download in multiple file formats.
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.
The Civil Citation Dashboard contains data on Florida’s use of Civil Citation as an alternative to arrest for 1st time misdemeanants.
The Juvenile Justice System Improvement Project (JJSIP) is a national initiative to reform the juvenile justice system by translating "what works" into everyday practice and policy.
Apply for positions with DJJ through People First.
Background screenings are required for all DJJ employees. Find out more.
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.
Research
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice encourages and supports research efforts conducted by qualified researchers that contribute to our knowledge about juvenile delinquency and criminal justice. However, because the children under the care and custody of the Department lack the legal capacity to consent to participate in research, the Department is responsible to protect their rights and ensure their well being.
Our regulations require a careful review of the risks and benefits involved in research proposals, the juvenile's assent, parent/guardian consent, and departmental permission for their participation in research.
In order to help ensure the safety of youth, staff, and researchers during the current public health emergency, the Department cannot at this time support any research proposals that require face-to-face interaction with youth or staff. Proposals that require responses from DJJ youth or staff members must specify a remote data collection method (eg: Skype, Zoom, electronic survey, etc.) before approval will be considered. In addition, informed consent documents must include language specifying how the researcher will minimize harm to participants while maintaining remote data collection.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FDJJ) is pleased to work with researchers whose studies have the potential to inform policy and/or practice to significantly benefit Florida youth. However, due to limited staff resources at FDJJ, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) can only accept proposals that have the potential to make a significant contribution to the field. The Institutional Review Board will only consider proposals that have the potential to inform policy and practice at FDJJ, and/or have the potential to make a significant contribution to the knowledge base regarding juvenile justice and associated policy or practice.
The majority of approved studies are requests for secondary data already collected as part of the daily operations at FDJJ. FDJJ collects a wealth of arrest, case processing, and correctional data. A brief description of the data the Department has readily available for secondary analysis is provided via the link below. Applicants interested in data not described in the Readily Available Data sheet are encouraged to contact the IRB Director with further questions.
Readily Available Data Descriptions
To ensure that the Department promotes research and scholarship among interested researchers, while also efficiently utilizing the limited time and resources of DJJ staff, applicants are requested to download the Institutional Review Board’s Preliminary Review Form and send the completed form to the IRB Director before submitting a full proposal. The Department will not consider full proposals submitted before approval of the Preliminary Review Form. Researchers who submit a review form that meets either of the above criteria will be invited to submit a full proposal for IRB consideration. Please note that the decision to support or reject proposals will be solely at the Department’s discretion.
Institutional Review Board’s Preliminary Review Form
If you have any questions during the IRB process, please feel free to contact the IRB Director at IRB.Director@djj.state.fl.us for assistance and guidance.
Thank you!
Potential researchers are NOT permitted to contact DJJ facilities or DJJ youth without an IRB-approved project. If the IRB becomes aware that a Principal Investigator has initiated contact with a DJJ facility or youth PRIOR to study IRB approval, DJJ reserves the right to summarily reject the proposal.
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