Jan 13, 2012

Dear DJJ Employees:

Please allow me to share the following news and announcements:

MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: Did you know that Floridians are substantially less likely to be the victim of a crime involving a juvenile that at any other time since DJJ started tracking this statistic in 1990? In fact, since FY 2006-07, the number of referrals is down 25% from 146,950 to 109,813 and the number of youth referred for delinquency is down 27% from 91,294 to 66,934. Juvenile offending has dropped across virtually all categories of offending, including serious and violent offenses. For example, referrals for aggravated assault and battery declined 36% during the five-year period, from 9,863 to 6,311, and referrals for armed robberies fell 39%, from 1,384 to 839. Between FY 2006-07 and FY 2010-11, the decline in juvenile offending has been associated with a 27% decline in the number of youth disposed to probation, a 39% decline in secure detention utilization, a 33% decline in the number of youth committed to residential placement, and a 34% decline in the number of delinquency cases transferred to adult court. One reason these statistics are so encouraging is because of the hard work and dedication of our employees around the state. Thank you for helping make Florida a safer place to live, work and play.

ELECTRONIC MONITORING: This weekend, DJJ will launch a statewide electronic monitoring (EM) program that utilizes Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) devices as a community-based alternative to secure detention and as a progressive response/graduated sanction for youth who are in violation of their court-ordered sanctions but who don’t otherwise meet the criteria for commitment to a DJJ residential facility. In anticipation of this initiative, 3M Electronic Monitoring has trained nearly 450 Detention and Probation employees statewide. These staff will be responsible for installing and activating the EM equipment and for responding to violation alerts. As our provider, 3M Electronic Monitoring will be responsible for the 24-hour monitoring of those youth court-ordered into the program.

I’m pleased to reprint this letter received Monday from a 3M account manager:

I'm Mary Later and I was the trainer for the Pensacola and Gainesville/Alachua areas. Let me first start by saying how impressed I am with your staff. I've been in this industry for over 25 years, and actually did the first DJJ implementation many years ago. My, how time changes things! Anyway, I just wanted to take a minute to drop you a note to tell you that I was extremely impressed by these two areas. They caught on, they were discussing how to implement, and they were logical and thorough. I sure was impressed. These two sites really paid attention and made for a delightful training experience for everyone involved. Kudos to these two offices!

KIDS LEARN FOOD SAFETY: The youth at Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center recently had the opportunity to participate in the Safe Staff Food Handler Training Program. Dr. Marjorie Moore from the University of Florida IFAS Bay County Extension Center conducted the two-day training. Thirteen students learned about food safety, proper personal hygiene and how to control the spread of food borne illnesses. All thirteen passed the class with three of the students achieving a perfect score on the post test. All of the students were able to leave the center with a three-year food handler certificate from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Well done!

JPO KUDOS: I am pleased to reprint the following letter from a parent to the supervisor of Circuit 17 Juvenile Probation Officer Erica Strauss (names of parent and child withheld for privacy and confidentiality reasons):

Dear Mrs. Sharon Todd:

People are always so quick to complain, but I would like to give a praise report of Officer Erica M. Strauss. She was the probation officer for approximately one year for my son. His probation ended last year. This was a stressful yet extremely important time in his life. During this time, Officer Strauss offered just the right amount of guidance, support, and encouragement. Regardless of the circumstance, parents need to know that their child is in the hands of a responsible adult. Officer Strauss always conducts herself in a professional yet approachable and compassionate manner. She clearly stated the rules and expectations for my son and then she insured that they were always followed. For my son, this resulted in invaluable lessons in many areas including accountability, responsibility, and commitment.

As a manager in nursing, I know how hard it is to find those special people who are truly devoted to their work. Officer Strauss is most definitely an asset to her profession. She lives up to her responsibility of being an important and crucial influence on our youth. Officer Strauss's attitude in rendering this special service was certainly one of a person who believes in "going the extra mile." I am writing this letter to ensure you know that I will be forever grateful that she was the one in charge of my son during this critical time in his life.

Thank you, JPO Strauss, and all our front-line staff who deal with kids, parents and guardians every day, for the fine work you do in our communities.

PREVENTION ON THE MOVE: Staff in the Office of Prevention and Victim Services has been busy promoting DJJ’s mission and services throughout the state. Earlier this week, Prevention Specialist Becky Linn represented DJJ at the Marion County Juvenile Justice Council, which held a Provider Fair showcasing the work of a dozen agencies. In addition to each agency setting up a display and having program handouts, they were each time to explain their services. Becky and Chief Probation Officer Jeff Shealy then traveled to Lake County to meet with the director of the local Teen Court to help promote a Community Garden at the Marion Regional Juvenile Detention Center. They also met with the Master Gardner program providers and plan on attending training in February. This will be a team effort with Probation, Detention and Prevention staff joining forces.

JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH: Human trafficking is modern-day slavery through forced labor, debt bondage, involuntary servitude, forced marriage, and commercial sexual exploitation. As chair of the Human Trafficking Workgroup of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet, I am leading DJJ’s collaboration with the Florida Department of Children and Families and others to raise awareness of this critical issue. Statistics rank Florida as the third most popular trafficking destination in the country. Half of all trafficking victims are children. DCF and DJJ have been working this month to advocate and educate on this issue and are committed to efforts to abolish human trafficking in Florida. This month and all year long, we will continue to send the message that our children are not for sale.

CHILDREN’S WEEK UPDATE: Children’s Week is quickly approaching and DJJ is in the midst of planning for this celebration. To kick off the Tallahassee-based events for that week, I am excited to share that the Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation will be hosting an art reception and silent auction on Monday evening, Jan. 30. The art exhibit, opening next week at the Gallery for Innovation and the Arts at the Museum of Florida History, features art created by youth in the Volusia Detention Center as well as youth from Prodigy in Hillsborough County. The exhibit will run until March 31, 2012. Youth Success Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, Jan. 31 and I will host a press conference at the Capitol in the morning. If you plan to be in Tallahassee that morning, please join us at 9:30 am on the back steps, courtyard side of the Old Capitol. I plan to continue to deliver our message of reform and showcase successes of youth and youth programs. I will also be participating in a press conference later on Tuesday observing National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Again, I encourage each of you to celebrate the successes – of our youth, our staff and our programs – successes that make lasting impacts on Florida’s families. If there is a special event in your community or program, please let us know so that we can highlight them. For more information about Children’s Week, click here. For questions about DJJ’s activities, contact Heather DiGiacomo at heather.digiacomo@djj.state.fl.us.

As this letter demonstrates, DJJ is an agency that serves the public in many different ways. Let us renew our commitment to service as we honor and celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this Monday.

Sincerely,

Wansley Walters

Secretary

PS: Please send any noteworthy or newsworthy items for consideration in my weekly letter to Communications Director C. J. Drake at cj.drake@djj.state.fl.us or call 850.921.5905. Submissions are considered on a space-available basis and may be edited for clarity and length. Thank you for your cooperation.