Mar 23, 2012

Dear DJJ Team Members:

Welcome to my weekly letter. Please allow me to share some recent news and announcements.

DJJ AT NATIONAL SUMMIT: I was honored to join Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente and state Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson at the National Judicial Leadership Summit on School-Justice Partnerships in New York City earlier this month. This summit was historic as it was the first time top judicial, education and other leaders from 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have come together to discuss the latest research, information and strategies to reduce juvenile delinquency. The focus of the summit, titled “Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court,” was to support reforms in school discipline policies and practices involving juvenile and criminal justice systems. Florida is one of few states that track comprehensive, statewide data on this subject. Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Kathleen Kroll and Rose Patterson, chief of Court Improvement for the Florida Supreme Court, also attended. At the summit, our team explained Florida’s efforts, which have resulted in a steep decline in school-related referrals in recent years. Click here to learn more about this positive trend.

CONGRATULATIONS: The following students will graduate Friday, March 30 from basic officer training at the Florida Public Safety Institute in Tallahassee. They received a certificate for completing 120 hours of training to become a juvenile probation officer (JPO).

Ghazal Ayandeh
Jamel Baker
Shannon Barquinero
Kristen Blatch
Jermaine Burke
Jennifer Clark
Michael Cooper
Max Fils-Aime
Trina Holliday
Jessica Hornes
Shirlon McCarty
Giannina Nicoletti
Alicia Plowden
Joseph Quinn
Dorian Stevens

PROBATION KUDOS: I am always pleased to share letters celebrating the fine work done by employees. Here is a letter JPO Supervisor Maryann Sanders received this week from the Broward County Public Defender’s Office about JPO Leslie Rodriguez:

Hello: My name is Kory Hill and I am the supervisor for the public defender in the juvenile division. I am emailing you in regards to your probation officer, Ms. Leslie Rodriguez. I have a client who is being supervised by the department and Ms. Rodriguez is the JPO. I met with the client’s family today. The family raved about “all the good” that Ms. Rodriguez is doing for their child. The family told me that Ms. Rodriguez always calls them back and keeps them informed with what is going on with the court ordered sanctions. The family went on and on about how much they loved Ms. Rodriguez and all the great things she was trying to accomplish for the child.


I know you don’t know me, Maryann, and I do not even know Ms. Rodriguez personally; however, hearing that Ms. Rodriguez goes the “extra mile” for her probationers, I felt it was necessary to bring this to your attention. I was told that you are Ms. Rodriguez’s boss. Being the supervisor for the public defender in the juvenile division it’s GREAT to hear we have compassionate people like Ms. Rodriguez working with the kids.


Keep up the great work Ms. Rodriguez and DJJ! Kory Hill

VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION: Fort Walton Beach business owner Diane B. Keller believes in equipping teenagers for financial success. Since July 2007, she has been volunteering weekly with probationary youth in Circuit 1, teaching them how to handle their finances through her “Millionaires in Training” course. She says, “Every day our youth are bombarded with ways to spend more money, but the TV ads do not say, ‘[buy this] only if it fits in your budget.’” Using the “Winning the Money Game” workbook created by the National Endowment for Financial Education, Diane teaches youth how to spend their money wisely. Each youth creates a “Dream Book” to focus on financial goals -- from shoes to cars to homes. Diane has shared her financial wisdom with more than 500 young people, helping them to become more financially independent and stable. Parents and guardians say youth benefit from the course and appreciate Diane for teaching such an important topic.

PROVIDER DONATION: AMIkids West Florida Wilderness Institute (WFWI) thanks board members Norm Gulkis and Mike Michael for securing a huge donation of high quality ingredients for the facility’s culinary arts training program. After a restaurant food trade show in Panama City Beach, Norm and Mike approached the event coordinator about making a donation. The vendors were happy to give items they had not sold during the event. WFWI Executive Director Ron Boyce was very pleased with the donation, saying “Vendors did not have to take home a load of food, we saved money, the boys learned to make biscuits from scratch, and the food gets better every day! Winners all around.” Youth in the program have the opportunity to earn job-related certification from the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, an advantage when they seek employment.

CONDOLENCES: I regret to announce that Mary Remington, a JPO for 27 years, passed away on Feb. 22, 2012. Circuit 6 Chief Probation Officer Adrienne Conwell has shared a letter sent to Mary’s husband, JPO David Remington. Dated March 8, it was written by a parent of one of Mary’s clients. (Names of youth and parent are omitted for confidentiality.)

Hello,


I just wanted to give our sincere condolences to you and your family. I was very saddened to hear of Mary’s death.


My son and I met Miss Mary last summer when my 17-year-old son made some bad choices. She was instrumental in helping my son get on the right track. Her strict gusto with just a touch of humor made for a winning combination to get through a thick-skulled teenager. We worked as a team together and Mary always wanted to appear the “bad guy” so I could get through this transition a bit easier. I often wanted to send a note to her supervisors to let them know of the great job she was doing and felt as soon as [my son] was off probation I would do just that. Sadly she didn’t get to see that day. However, she had asked Mr. Givens (my son’s new probation officer) how he was doing. It meant a lot to me to know she was still interested in his progress.


Thankfully I am happy to report that [my son] is doing well in school and everything looks very positive; he will continue to make good choices. I recall our last visit with Mary and we even talked about his graduation party and [I asked if] she would like to attend…she smiled and said she would indeed like that. That conversation is forever etched in my mind.


In closing, as my son and I left our recent probation visit and were discussing the news about Mary, he told me that there has been a dove on our back porch for the last three days. Neither of us has ever seen one on our porch or even in our yard for that matter. He said, “Well maybe Mom, Miss Mary was looking in on me.” I hope these heartfelt words bring you some comfort from a grateful mother and son.


Signed by mother and son


Please join me in extending condolences to David on his loss. Mary was an extraordinary lady and employee and she will be sorely missed. Thanks to Adrienne for sharing that uplifting letter.


Leslie, Diane, Norm and Mike, and to all employees, thank you for your devotion to the success of our youth, which is evident in your work with them. I am proud of our efforts to make Florida’s juvenile justice system a role model for the nation.

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.