Mar 01, 2013

Dear DJJ team members:

Welcome to my weekly letter. I am pleased to share the following news and announcements.

ROADMAP UPDATE: The Roadmap to System Excellence Town Hall meeting was held in Jacksonville on Feb. 27. I appreciate the thoughtful comments and observations offered by the attendees. The next Roadmap Town Hall meeting will be after legislative session and is being planned for Lee County.

The trip to Jacksonville was packed and productive. While I was in Jacksonville, I visited the Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center, met with Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown and had lunch with State Attorney Angela Corey. I also had the pleasure of visiting Operation New Hope, a faith-based, nonprofit community development corporation that helps men and women rebuild their lives by helping them find jobs and develop the skills they need to succeed after being released from prison. President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Gay gave me a tour of the facility and I was astounded by the work that is being done and the profound effect it’s having on clients’ families and the community as a whole. I believe that we could use their model to provide similar services to help youth who come into contact with the juvenile justice system and, as always, I am interested in hearing any ideas that you have to make that happen. I would encourage you to visit www.operationnewhope.com to learn more.

Operation New Hope President and CEO Kevin Gay,

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: The 2013 legislative session will begin on Tuesday, March 5. On March 4, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee will take up three of DJJ’s legislative priorities, SB 672-Youth Custody Officer/Jail Tours, SB 676-Juvenile Justice Boards and Councils, and SB 678-Grand Jury Recommendation. Thanks to Sen. Greg Evers for all his hard work in sponsoring these important pieces of legislation. On March 6, Director of Administration Fred Schuknecht and I will give presentations to the Senate Criminal/Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee. Fred will present information on the agency’s targeted budget reductions required by Schedule VIIIB, and I will present information on the Roadmap.

DJJ RECEIVES GOVERNOR’S SAVINGS AWARD: On Feb. 22, DJJ and the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) were selected as the latest recipients of Gov. Rick Scott’s “Governor’s Savings Award.” Reforming juvenile justice in Florida also means reforming the way our agency does business so that the needs of troubled youth come first. With contractors providing many of our services to youth, it is vital that we remain good stewards of the public’s money by managing our contracting and procurement process as carefully and efficiently as possible. I am pleased our hard work on behalf of Florida’s taxpayers and families is paying off. For more details, please click here to read the press release.

KIDS COUNT: The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s national KIDS COUNT data snapshot, “Reducing Youth Incarceration in the United States,” which was released on Feb. 27, shows a 32 percent drop in the number of Florida’s youth being sent to residential juvenile justice programs between 1997 and 2010. DJJ data shows this trend is continuing with the number declining 44 percent in the past five years. In addition to the significant decrease in youth incarceration rates documented in the KIDS COUNT snapshot, Florida has seen a drastic reduction in overall juvenile arrests, school-based delinquency and the number of youth being transferred to the adult prison system. This is not only a victory for Florida families – these improvements are the result of hard work on the part of Florida’s parents, educators, law enforcement officials, judiciaries, community leaders, juvenile justice stakeholders and the youth themselves. This is just the beginning. We are constantly developing new partnerships and looking for ways to identify at-risk before they get in trouble, as well as helping those who are already in DJJ avoid going any deeper into the system. For more information, click here to read the press release.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING UPDATE: Approximately 350 community members attended a panel discussion in Tampa on Feb 27 to discuss strategies to combat human trafficking. The panel consisted of members of the judiciary, law enforcement and service providers. Thanks to The Junior League of Tampa and Stetson University Law School for hosting this important conversation. Thanks also to Courtney McCowen , DJJ’s human trafficking coordinator, for serving as a panelist and offering her insight and expertise to this important discussion.

MONROE COUNTY YOUTH SUCCESS DAY: On Feb. 20, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners in Key Largo officially proclaimed April 7, 2013, as Youth Success Day and Parents’ and Children’s Day. Youth Success Day recognizes the success of at-risk and troubled youth as they work to turn their lives around. It will be held during Children’s Week, which is celebrated to encourage a shared vision of the State of Florida’s commitment to its children and families and to engage a long-term process to develop and implement strategies for moving the shared vision forward.

Proclaiming Youth Success Day and Parents’ and Children’s Day in Monroe County for April 7, 2013. Pictured left to right: Woody Hanford, Program Manager of Children’s Programs at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO); Nat Whitehouse, Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services and Civil Citation Counselor, MCSO; county commissioners Heather Carruthers, Sylvia Murphy and David Rice; Paul Armstrong, DJJ JPO supervisor; Karen Knight, DJJ Circuit 16 CPO; Kathy Tuell, CEO of Florida Keys Children Shelter; Shane Stich, Community Based Care manager for Wesley House Family Services; and Monroe County Mayor George Neugent.

PROBATION KUDOS: Thanks to juvenile probation officer (JPO) Supervisor Patti Gressett, who presented information to a Criminal Justice class at Brevard Community College on Feb. 21. Dan Rodgers, the chief probation officer (CPO) in Circuit 18, notes that Patti has more than 30 years of experience working with delinquent youth. The class instructor sent Patti a note expressing his appreciation, below.

Patti,

I wanted to thank you for coming and speaking to my juvenile delinquency class.

My goal was to expose the students to future job opportunities and the juvenile justice system. I can honestly say that several students walked away with a better understanding of the juvenile justice system and how it can affect someone personally.

Thank You,

Harold Zacks

PROBATION KUDOS II: Neighbors 4 Neighbors recently sent the letter of appreciation, below, to the South Region Probation Office. Staff made a contribution to the organization in lieu of holding a local Thanksgiving holiday celebration last year.

Thank you for participating the Neighbors 4 Neighbors Adopt-A-Family 4 the Holidays 2012 program. Your contribution helped make the holidays warmer and brighter for a family in need and we hope the experience enriched your holiday as well.

At a time when so many have so little, it is fortunate we live in a community with people like you who are willing to ease the burden. Your generosity and caring are an inspiration. We hope to work with you again next year!

Sincerely,

Lynne Cameron, Executive Director

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT (QI) TRAINING: Registration is now open to staff interested in becoming a QI certified reviewer. The Bureau of Quality Improvement relies on the skills and expertise of trained professional staff to conduct valid reviews of juvenile justice programs. Training will be conducted during the months of March and April 2013. QI reviewers serve on an as-needed basis as part of their regular work duties. Supervisor approval is required. Qualifications: management or supervisory experience, bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and two years of experience in juvenile justice programs. DJJ Basics of Motivational Interviewing and Stages of Change (MI) training through the DJJ CORE Learning Management System must be completed prior to QI Certified Reviewer training. Please click here for more information and training dates, or call 850.921.6343.

To all employees, as always, thank you for your service and commitment to Florida’s at-risk and troubled youth.

Sincerely,

Wansley Walters

Secretary

PS: Please send any noteworthy or newsworthy items for consideration in my weekly letter to the Communications Office at News@djj.state.fl.us or call 850.921.5900. Submissions are considered on a space-available basis and may be edited for clarity and length. Thank you for your cooperation.