DJJ Holding Forums As Part of Effort to Reduce Minority Children in System
May 19, 2009
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (“DJJ”) has instituted an effort to reduce the disproportionate number of minority children in the system by five percent each year.
The DJJ has been holding meetings to get feedback on the issue in each of seven counties that have the highest number of minority children in the system. To see notices of meetings, go to www.djj.state.fl.us/Communications/public_notices.html.
A story from The News Service of Florida is re-printed below.
Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Frank Mayernick Jr., fmayernick@cftlaw.com.
DJJ EMBARKING ON EFFORT TO REDUCE NUMBER OF MINORITIES IN SYSTEM
By KATHLEEN HAUGHNEY
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, May 19, 2009… In Florida, African-American children represented 22 percent of all children aged 10-17 in the state in 2007-2008.
But they were 43 percent of the referrals to the juvenile justice system, drawing concern from state and federal officials about the disproportionate amount of minority children in the system. Nationwide, criminal justice officials have seen similar numbers.
Now, federal government officials are telling states that if they want federal grants, they’d better be doing something to bring the numbers of minority children in the system down.
Rhyna Jefferson started working at Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice 11 months ago as the disproportionate minority contact coordinator and has been crisscrossing the state talking to juvenile justice stakeholders – state attorneys, public defenders, school officials – plus community and faith-based leaders to alert them to the statistics and devise strategies to reduce the numbers.
“No one is to blame, no organization, no person, no institutions, but we all feel we all share some burden,” Jefferson said. “We’re all citizens of the state and we all want to live in safe communities.”
Jefferson and her colleagues are starting with seven counties where the numbers are the highest: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Pinellas. DJJ has been holding two day forums in each of the counties to get feedback.
The goal is to reduce the number of minority children in the system by 5 percent each year.
Years ago, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice embarked on a pilot project to reduce the rate of minority children in juvenile justice in Hillsborough County, but state budget cuts brought that program to an end.
“This is now Florida’s effort to rebirth and go back to if we strengthen the weakest link in the chain, we strengthen the whole system,” said Randy Nelson, a criminologist who is a consultant for the department and worked on the original Hillsborough pilot project.
Jefferson and Nelson have found that one of the biggest obstacles they face is access. There may be people willing to help children who need someone to talk to, but these people don’t necessarily live in the same area as the kids. The counseling services may be located on the north side of town, but the kids are on the south side of town, Jefferson said.
The department is trying to reach out to churches and other community members to help bridge that gap. And Nelson said sustaining that effort is the key to developing the best strategies in reaching at-risk children.
“It’s not traditional anymore, Jefferson said. “We have to do some of the things we’re not accustomed to doing. Going into homes. Helping parents.”
The department is still in its first part of its three step approach to reduce the rate of minorities in the juvenile justice system. After meetings in the seven counties, it will start developing action plans and then try to get additional money to help expand the program throughout the state.