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Raise the Age

By Sarah Krantz, Esq.   According to the Campaign for Youth Justice, 250,000 youth are tried, sentenced, or incarcerated as adults each year in the United States.[1] While charging youths under the age of 18 may seem counterintuitive,…
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Rock and a Hard Place Premiere on HBO

Under certain circumstances, judges in Miami-Dade County may give a person found guilty of a crime the choice of either attending a diversionary program, such as boot camp, or going to prison. To be eligible for the boot camp program, an individual…
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REVIEW: Young & Arrested

By Sarah Krantz, Esq. Last week, WMFE’s Renata Sago premiered Young & Arrested, her five-part series on Orange County’s high rate of juvenile arrests. The series’ five stories are told through the eyes of three African-American…
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Opinion: Focus on Smart Justice Reforms – The Panama City News Herald

Adjusted for population, Florida has the fifth highest violent crime rate in the United States. Currently, Florida's corrections budget is $214 million; that does not include money spent on the juvenile justice system. Currently, there are several…
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Childhood Poverty: Evidence-Based Solutions

By Sarah Krantz, Esq. Earlier this month, the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives, First Focus, and the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Pennsylvania State University co-hosted a briefing with nationally…
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A Breakdown of the Department of Juvenile Justice Statistics with an Eye towards Orange County

To the everyday observer, Florida has had success in decreasing juvenile delinquency. Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-2016 saw a seven-percent decrease in juvenile arrests from the previous fiscal year and a 28-percent decrease from FY 2011-2012.[1] This…
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For Kids’ Sake, Reform Juvenile Justice System – The Palm Beach Post

In this opinion piece, Talitha Hazelton, a former assistant public defender for the 15th Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach County), argues the case for reforming the use of direct file in Florida by passing CS/SB 192. Read the opinion and learn…
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Beyond Bars: Keeping Young People Safe at Home and Out of Youth Prisons

Last week, the National Collaboration for Youth (NCY) hosted Beyond Bars: Keeping Young People Safe at Home and Out of Youth Prisons, a webinar based on its 2016 report that can "serve as a handbook for juvenile justice administrators, legislators,…
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Orange County Sheriff’s Office Will Be Hosting a Teen Academy This Summer

The Orange County Sheriff's Office will be hosting a Teen Academy during June and July. Register at www.osco.com. For questions, please contact Awilda McBryde at 407-254-7141 or awilda.mcbryde2@ocfl.net.  
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The Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board Endorses Juvenile Civil Citation Bill

The Editorial Board of The Treasure Coast Newspapers has recently endorsed SB 196, which would require law enforcement officers to issue civil citations or to require participation in a diversion program when a juvenile admits to one certain first-time…
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Deadline Approaching for Juvenile Justice Citizens Academy in Pinellas County

The deadline to apply for Pinellas County's Juvenile Justice Citizens Academy is quickly approaching. Next Session: begins March 2 – May 18, 2017 All session are held on: Thursdays, 6 - 9 p.m. at various locations throughout Pinellas…
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New Adolescent Brain Development Study Begins Recruitment

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has begun recruiting participants for its long-term Adolescent Brain Cognitivie Development (ABCD) study that will follow, from adolescence through early adulthood, the biological and behavior development…
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YES on SB 196: Juvenile Civil Citation and Similar Diversion Programs

Take Action! Tell your Senator to support SB 196! Yesterday, the Florida Senate Committee on Criminal Justice reviewed SB 196, a bill requiring a law enforcement officer to issue a civil citation or to require participation in a diversion…
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Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Guidelines

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and the American Institutes of Research have formulated new evidence-based, treatment-oriented guidelines for juvenile drug treatment courts (JDTC).…