Roadmap to System Excellence

Transcription

1 Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Town Hall Meeting Report Roadmap to System Excellence Broward December 19, :00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Introduction The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is holding a series of Town Hall meetings at 12 locations around the state to obtain feedback and answer questions regarding its reform efforts and specifically its Roadmap to System Excellence. Location Urban League of Broward County Community Empowerment Center 560 NW 27 th Avenue Ft. Lauderdale, FL Agenda 6:00 Welcome 6:15 Opening Speaker Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh, Director Urban League of Broward County Wansley Walters, Secretary and Deputy Secretary Christy Daly Florida Department of Juvenile Justice 6:30 Questions and Comments Audience Members 8:00 Adjourn Page 1

2 Easel Data Points Page 2

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7 Handouts Roadmap To System Excellence o Executive Summary o One-pager o Brochure Data Chart Statewide Data Chart Local Searchable Data on the Internet FJJF Brochure Civil Citation Brochure Program with Evaluation/Comment Card Press/Editorial Board Packet Roadmap To System Excellence One-pager Data Chart Statewide Data Chart Local Press Release Speaker Comments & Questions Luis Ceruti (AMI Kids) thanked Secretary Walters for their partnership. Gary Levine (Public Defender s Office and Board Chair of AMI Kids) expressed concern about changes in the contract for Day Treatment programs to provide supervision later in the day. He asked, What is the mentality? He expressed concern that education, time with families, and transportation would be adversely affected. Rona Levitt (RN, educator, and board member of Informed Families) complimented Informed Families and would like to partner with prevention programs like Lock Your Meds and Red Ribbon Campaign. Roosevelt Walters (parent and community member) stated that we need to keep schools from sending kids to the juvenile justice system and prison. Page 7

8 Speaker Comments & Questions continued David Rosa (One Hope International prison Ministries) wanted to know how faith-based groups can interact with at-risk kids and prevent them from entering the system and what we are doing with foster kids to prevent them from entering the DJJ system. Judge Elijah Williams (Judge) asked why our nation is failing to educate our kids and what guarantee we have that the Roadmap will work. Stanley F. Turon (parent) wants to ensure kids are given job opportunities and wants part of the DJJ budget dedicated to ensuring kids get jobs if they drop out of school. Aggie Pappas (PACE Executive Director) wants intervention with girls at an early stage and guarantees that their small population is provided for. Gordon Weeks (Public Defenders Office) asked what measures we have in place to ensure the safety of the kids in our care and what we are going to do to address disproportionate minority contact. (Anonymous) Do you have any ideas or what do you think we can do as a community and agency to have more parents engaged in the success of their children and hold them more accountable? Barry Butin (Criminal Defense Attorney) suggested having a program where kids who stay in school and maintain a certain grade point average are given a computer. Page 8

9 Speaker Comments & Questions continued David Utter (Southern Poverty Law Center) agreed with the Roadmap s philosophy of providing the right service to the right kid at the right time and placing low risk kids and high risk placement makes them worse. He encouraged support from the community and law enforcement and reducing the youth population in the system helps reduce disproportionate minority contact. He said the Roadmap enhances public safety and civil rights and encourages adoption of the evidence-based Missouri model. Eleanor Sobel (Senator and Chair of the Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee) told the Secretary: You are a legend in the State of Florida and very aggressive and together we can accomplish a lot. She encouraged the silos in Broward County to work together to come up with solutions and not warehouse kids. Page 9

10 Statistics 114 Attendees 13 Speakers 44 evaluations completed Evaluation Summary 1. How did you learn about this meeting? 1 = News media 2 = Online 1 = Friend 28 = Work 11 = Invitation 0 = Multiple selections 0 = Other 1 = No answer How did you learn about this meeting? 64% 2% 2% 25% 5% 2% No Answer Friend Invitation Other 2. I attended as a: 35 = Juvenile justice professional, such as DJJ staff, court representative, program provider, FDLE, etc. 1 = Parent/Guardian/Family member. 3 = Community member. 0 = Youth. 2% 8% 90% I attended as: Juvenile Justice Professional Parent/Guardia n/family Member Community Member Youth Page 10

11 3. Why did you attend? To understand the vision of DJJ To expand knowledge base of detention/probation/high risk youth and their needs. To hear and learn more about the Roadmap Wanted to hear the Secretary's point of view Wanted to hear what the roadmap entails and to gain a sense of how the Department feels on issues. Representing PACE Center for Girls Interest I'm Superintendent of BRJDC Learn more about the roadmap initiative I was interested in seeing the road we are heading Support the Roadmap to System Excellence Interest in pre-arrest/civil citation Collaboration Information purpose I am a circuit judge assigned to juvenile delinquency Curiousity/work Wanted to get a better understanding of the future of DJJ I represented my Department Information To be educated PACE Board I am interested in this initiative To learn more about the direction of DJJ To learn more about what is happening in DJJ Interested in the future of my agency Learn more about forward movement Criminal Defense Attorney To introduce Informed Families to DJJ Gain more knowledge of the Sec. Roadmap and hear from the community partners Support Department initiatives Work I was interested in meeting and knowing my secretary Excited about DJJ's Roadmap Hear more about the strategic priorities of DJJ Drop-outs get community work training, not sweatshop. Less correction center time. To learn more about how DJJ will go forward to keep children out of adult system. Page 11

12 Representative of the Department of Corrections To hear the plans DJJ have for prevention intervention and how to keep youth out of the system. business related Senate staff Ideas to better circuit 17 Of the 41 respondents: 23 specifically said they wanted to learn more. 4 were there in a supportive role. 13 mentioned it was relative to their jobs. 1 stated they were there to give feedback. 4. Do you know more about Florida Department of Juvenile Justice s (DJJ) plans after attending? 32 = Yes 2 = Maybe 2 = No 6 = No answer Do you know more about DJJ's plans? 4% 5% 14% 77% Yes No Maybe No Answer Page 12

13 5. On a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely), how confident are you in the following juvenile justice partners? On a scale from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely), how confident are you in the following juvenile justice partners? (Averages) 3.4 = DJJ 3.3 = Law enforcement 3.5 = Schools and school resource officers 3.7 = Court system 3.9 = Community resources 3.9 = Service providers Did you learn or share what you needed to during the meeting? 29 = Yes 4 = Maybe 8 = No 3 = No answer Did you learn or share what you needed to during the meeting? 18% 9% 7% 66% Yes Maybe No No Answer 7. The length of the meeting was: 0 = Too short 39 = Just right 1 = Too long 4 = No answer The length of the meeting was: 0% 2% 9% Too Short Just Right Too Long No Answer 89% Page 13

14 8. On a scale from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), how would you rate this meeting? 1 = 1 2 = 2 9 = 3 18 = 4 13 = How would you rate this meeting? Series1 9. Would you participate in future meetings, such as this, hosted by DJJ? 42 = Yes 2 = Maybe 0 = No 0 = No answer Would you participate in future meetings, such as this, hosted by DJJ? 5% 0% 95% Yes Maybe No No Answer Additional Comments Privatization in the long run will cost the taxpayer greater funds as private organizations are for profit. They could not be interested if they could not carry a profit. Example, that is why no one willing to take over detention centers. No one can operate a detention facility for as little money as a state operated facility. I wanted to ask about every student in Florida School should have a computer. Are there any programs coordinated with corporations that provide computers to students. If home on computer not outside maybe getting into trouble. Barry Butin Where was this advertised? I read 2 newspapers daily and only saw 2 letters The Secretary was extremely knowledgeable of situations addressed. I would have loved to see law enforcement at this meeting. Unfortunately I saw none. Would love to see a much longer meeting where you had a section for different topics. Page 14

15 A more comprehensive presentation of plan would have been helpful. Many people may not have read the plan in advance of the town hall meeting. Questions would have been better able to be grounded in the plan. Otherwise, the town hall format becomes an open air gripe session or providers lobbying for program dollars. More playtime at all schools (checkers, chess, activities.), more community involvement, less arrest, of our kids more playtime, care, jobs mean opportunity to learn life. Stanley Turon I would like to see DJJ in all Districts be on the same page. This roadmap will only work if the districts do not deter from the premise of the roadmap and put their own premise in place. Let s do this together, that is the only way it will work. The FCAT needs to be taken out of the schools and get back to teaching our children the right way and give them a fair chance to a better safe life. Remember to include parents in this plan. None at this time. I just hope that all the community providers, family, parents, etc. did not come out to speak in vain. I hope in the coming years I see results because I have come to realize that big departments/businesses will speak and agree with the community but will not do anything to produce results because it is not important. Law enforcement must be trained to not just place youth in jail because they want too. Mount Bethel human Services provides Intervention/Diversion services to The vision of our program can and does partner with the DJJ. Please do not overlook our need for program assistance for the organization that functions in real time working to strengthen and intervene at the most earliest point in a family crisis. Address rude and unprofessional supervisors including detention superintendents The Department is doing the best it can with the resources it had; however, paying the workers more, providing them with resources to help them make ends meet at home, which can include forgiving their student loans, giving cost of living increases will build morale around the agency. I thinking empowering the staff with DJJ is a way to stimulate creative thinking and dedicated workers. This will then allow the children to want to emulate the role the staff play in their lives. As a probation officer for seven years I would say we as the department are doing good. I want to see more funding for children programs, more JPO-N-Y interaction, less DMC and more community resources. What processes can be enacted to ensure that assessment recommendations are considered upon case disposition for those youth who are not voluntarily participating in community based services. Awesome event! Page 15