The opioid epidemic has led to a dramatic increase in the number of infants and toddlers being removed from their homes and placed in foster care. Doing so places these vulnerable young children at high risk for attachment issues, postnatal medical problems, and development delay. Early Childhood Courts have been found to be a very effective…

The 1990s saw concerted legislative efforts to increase the mechanisms through which juveniles could be transferred to the adult court. Beginning research exists on how the public feels about transferring youths out of the juvenile justice system, but it is somewhat dated and does little to illuminate the reasons people support transfer. Using a…

Family intervention is shifting from an informal alternative in treatment of juvenile offenders to a formal adjudicatory option. The politically expedient move was not based on conclusive empirical data. Without evaluation of family intervention strategies, such strategies are likely to proliferate with little control over possible unfortunate…

Compares the recidivism of 2,738 juveniles who were transferred to criminal court in Florida in 1987 to that of a matched sample retained in the juvenile system. By every measure of recidivism employed, including rates of reoffending, seriousness of reoffending, and time to failure, reoffending was greater among transfers than the matched…

The document begins with a Department of Juvenile Justice overview which lists program priorities and budget information. The department has three priority issues (public safety, partnerships, and accountability) which are covered in detail. Focal areas for addressing public safety include prevention efforts, prevention and diversion grant funds,…

Describes the results of an experiment in Florida in which jurisdiction over juvenile status offenders (i.e., runaways, truants, or incorrigibles) was transferred from the juvenile justice system to the child welfare system. (BD)

This document is a 1983 assessment of the Florida Juvenile Justice System based on an extensive analysis of the most recent statistical data and literature produced in Florida and several other states. The purpose of the report is to provide a preliminary overview of the impact of changes within the juvenile justice system and its relationship…

The primary areas in which Broward County, Florida visiting teachers (one for about 6000 children) serve the schools are student welfare and attendance. Student welfare problems usually fall into one or more of these categories; financial, emotional, scholastic, health. Student attendance problems fall into two categories: truancy and…

This paper reports the results of developing and evaluating a classification of 315 arrested youth processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center from September 1, 1994 to January 31, 1998. Youth were characterized as physically or sexually abused if they reported abuse or if they had been referred to juvenile court for abuse.…

This document contains witness statements from the Congressional hearing called to examine how the drug-addicted or drug-troubled juvenile offender is treated within the Florida juvenile justice system. Witnesses include the training director at the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association which is the association of Florida treatment centers;…

According to the 2000 census, high school dropouts had a 52% employment rate, compared to 71% for high school graduates and 83% for college graduates. According to NCSE, the national dropout rate is 30% of which 80% had been chronically absent from school ("School attendance tracking: Challenges and effective practices"), which puts the…

Approximately one-third of the children in the child welfare system are under the age of 6. These children are almost invisible in our juvenile courts. Living in emotional and environmental impoverishment and deprivation provides a poor foundation for healthy development. These very young and vulnerable children are exhibiting disproportionate…

Teacher-developed materials for legal education in elementary and junior high schools in Florida are presented. The lessons focus on the consequences of crime and rule-breaking in terms of the law and penal systems, the victim and loved ones, the criminal and loved ones (as victims, too), and the community, which suffers and pays the costs. In the…

This report discusses the preliminary results of a study that investigated arrest rates for adolescents who received community mental health services under Medicaid managed care programs in Hillsborough, Florida, and four surrounding countries. Results indicate many young recipients of mental health services were arrested in Hillsborough and…

This political studies course for grades seven through nine emphasizes the relationship between youth and law, illustrating the way law works in a democracy. Emphasis is upon students learning to appreciate the need for law and knowing their basic rights and responsibilities as American citizens. Rather than a memorizing exercise, it is an attempt…