Tag Archive for: Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ)

Orange Sheriff’s Office Revamping Juvenile Policies

I don’t know any law enforcement officers who got into this line of work to arrest kids. I know when I entered the profession 30 years ago, I was hoping to help kids — to give them a compassionate interaction with a cop, not their first…
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In Florida, Your Kid’s Chance of Arrest at School Depends on Where You Live

After a student was caught cutting class at Seminole High School’s ninth grade center in April 2019, a trio of Sanford police officers told the girl to get in a golf cart so she could be taken back to campus. She refused. “I’m…
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Federal Lawsuit Seeks to Ban Solitary Confinement for Florida Children in Juvenile Detention

More than 4,300 Florida children in juvenile detention centers spent time in solitary confinement over a 12-month period through June 2018, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. That is almost one in three of all children serving…
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Juvenile Justice Guards Offered Bribes for Beatings, Witnesses Testify at ‘Honey-Bun’ Trial

Two witnesses to the attack that killed 17-year-old Elord Revolte at the Miami-Dade juvenile lockup in August 2015 testified that guards ordered beatdowns of kids in detention in exchange for snacks at the state-run detention facility. Diego…
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Orange Cops Relying More on Citations, Not Arrests, for Juveniles — But Still Lag Other Urban Counties, Report Finds

Police and deputies in Orange County are giving teenagers in trouble more civil citations instead of arresting them for misdemeanors, but other urban counties in Florida still give citations instead of arresting minors in a far higher share…
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This Week in the Florida Legislature, January 7-11

This week, the House Criminal Justice Committee held their inaugural meetings for the 2018 Legislative Session. The meeting began with a presentation on juvenile civil citation and direct file by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ),…

DeSantis Names Former Judge to Head Department of Juvenile Justice

Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis has tapped Simone Marstiller, a former judge, state agency head and lobbyist, to lead the Department of Juvenile Justice — arguably one of the state’s most troubled agencies in the past. The department has had…
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Orange County Juvenile Justice Arrests Plummet

Orange County saw a dramatic drop in juvenile arrests in the past year and particularly in felony arrests of juveniles, following reforms pushed by State Attorney Aramis Ayala and implemented by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and other…
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When Kids Kill

Two were only 13 years old. Three were just a few months shy of turning 18. Four committed their crimes in this decade, and just as many have spent more than 30 years behind bars. At least two sold sex for money. One witnessed his father…
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Stays at Escambia County Detention Center Spike as Juvenile Arrests Increase, Law Changes

Department of Juvenile Justice data shows the Escambia Regional Juvenile Detention Center experienced a huge spike in use in the most recently reported year, 2016-2017, putting it at a 94 percent average utilization rate, compared to 69 percent…
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Keep Kids Learning Webinar: Using Data in Advocacy

Last month, the ACLU of Florida and Mark Greenwald from the Department of Juvenile Justice hosted a webinar on using data to increase advocacy efforts and work to end the school-to-prison pipeline in Florida. Data can be a useful tool to…
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Former Judge Calls for Changes to Juvenile Justice Center

A retired Central Florida judge is calling for changes at the Orange Regional Juvenile Detention Center. Her call is prompted by a handful of recent incidents over the past year, including fights and the alleged assault of a teenage girl…