Miami-Dade County FloridaJuvenile Justice Model

Presented by: Dr. Gladys Negron

April 12 & 13, 2011

Miami-Dade County Florida

Population in Florida

• Total Population: 17 million

• 4th largest state in U.S.

Miami-Dade

Miami-Dade County, Florida

•Total population: 2.5 million

•Juvenile population: 416,924

•Largest county in Florida

•8th Largest county in the U.S.

•61% Hispanic

•20% Black/African American

* Based on population estimates from the American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Population in Miami-Dade County

The Vision

To significantly reduce the arrest rate by:

• Providing positive identification

• Identifying needs early

• Referring appropriately to address service needs

•Applying alternative intervention and prevention services for youth at risk of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system

Elements of the National Demonstration Project

• DATAInformation on juveniles identifying trends and patterns allows the service community to offer programs and services that relate to the actual population.

• ASSESSMENTAppropriate assessment identifies individual needs at the earliest point possible in order to place juveniles in the right program before the crimes committed become more serious.

• JUVENILE JUSTICE PARTNER COLLABORATION Allows the players involved with juveniles to "move the rules to fit the child and not move the child to fit the rules.”

National Demonstration Project (NDP)

These three elements

create a system

of care

where juveniles

and their

families

are treated as

individuals.

Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC)Centralized Intake Screening & Assessment

• One point of accountability for all juvenile booking

• Effective Positive Identification Process (PID)

• Screening for risk & needs

• Assessment & diversion referrals

The JAC revolutionized the management of the juvenile justice population in Miami-Dade County

Major Efficiencies

• All law enforcement agencies have a central processing location for arrested youth

• Youth receive immediate, evidence- based interventions

• Diversion happens at the intake stage

(Civil Citation, PAD, JASS, JASP, IDDS)

• Reduction in the number of misdemeanor cases referred to court

Improvements and Results

Police officers are in and out of JAC within approximately 15 minutes– Previously took up to 8 hours– Savings of

• Time- Over 800,000 hours of police time (average 6 hours per arrest)

• Money- Not paying officers to wait for a parent • Public Safety- Allows officers to return to the streets to serve

the public

Provides a facility with a juvenile-specific design and philosophy– Identifies needs and provides assistance, a

different mentality than that of the adult system

Improvements and Results (cont’d)

3.5%

1.8%

3.9%

11.2

%

8.1%

2.9%

3.4%

5.5%

10.2

%

10.2

%

13.3

%8.2%

58%

Total Arrests

Number of Arrests without

the Civil Citation Initiative

Number of Arrests with

the Civil Citation Initiative

20%

• The successful completion rate is 84%

• Civil citations are responsible for a 20% reduction in arrests since April 2007

95% of Civil citation participants are minorities

Civil Citation Referrals by Ethnicity

Youth that receive JSD Program services have better outcomes than those who do not

Recidivism FY 08-09 (After 1 year)

Juvenile Arrests by Ethnicity

41%

57% 65% 67% 62%

Overview of Major Accomplishments (1998-2010)

• Reduced juvenile arrests by 58% (from 16,532 in 1998 to 6,975 in 2010)

• Recidivism rate of 10% for juveniles completing JSD Programs

• Reduced juvenile detention population from 300 per day to approximately 100 per day

• $33 million dollar gross systemic savings each year

• $20.2 million dollar net savings each year

• One of the lowest commitment rates in the state of Florida

• Started the GPS ankle bracelet program for qualifying detention youth

• Miami-Dade County Youth Commission in process of being established under the VIP umbrella to provide youth with a unique perspective on county government and an advisory board to the mayor and BCC

Overview of Major Accomplishments (1998-2010) cont’d

National Juvenile Arrests

2001-2009 -47% 2001-2009 -7%

National Juvenile Arrests

2001-2009 +6%2001-2009 -9%

• U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

• Miami-Dade County Office of the Mayor

• Eleventh Judicial Court Circuit, Juvenile Division

• Miami-Dade Clerk of the Courts

• Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office

• Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office

• Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

• Florida Department of Children & Families

JSD Partners

JSD Partners cont’d

• Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police• Miami-Dade Police Department• Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections and

Rehabilitation• Miami-Dade County Administrative Office of the Courts• Miami-Dade County Public Schools• Miami-Dade County Department of Human Services• Circuit 11, Miami-Dade County Juvenile Justice Board • Administrative Juvenile Judges• Community Service Providers

Future

The Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department is constantly evolving by integrating new knowledge, values, and capabilities in its operations.

For the future, JSD is dedicated to building an infrastructure which can effectively prevent children from becoming involved with the juvenile justice system entirely by offering services to children identified “at risk.”

“We believe that what we do

for every arrested child desperately matters.”

Closing

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

www.ojjdp.gov

or

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

National Training and Technical Assistance Center

www.nttac.org

For more information or assistance