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Juvenile Programs
- Juvenile Assessment Center
- Seminole Truancy Alternatives for Youth Center
- Intensive Community Supervision Unit
- Consequence Alternative Sanctions Unit
- SWEAT
- Operation Right Track
- Seminole County Police Athletic League
The latest headlines in Central Florida read like a Hollywood horror script. A brother and sister just shot their father's fiance out of jealousy, a grandson murdered his grandmother because he "had to take his anger out on someone," and a 14 year old boy stabbed a retired librarian in her home as she resisted his attempts to rob her. If you live in a big city, you read stories like these all the time. But big cities aren't alone, it's the small towns too that see young children shoot classmates.
Law enforcement agencies can't afford to take a reactive stance to crime. This is not a new revelation; most agencies are taking a proactive approach with crime prevention units, community policing, undercover investigations and other such programs. But how pro-active are we with juveniles? Will they be the next generation of criminals filling our jails, or will we impact their lives enough to set them on the right track?
Juvenile Assessment Center
Sheriff Don Eslinger of the Seminole County Sheriff's Office in Sanford, Florida created the Division of Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Intervention with a positive impact in mind. The objective of this division is to incorporate the core components of community policing, community partnerships and problem solving by shifting away from a reactive, incident-driven police service to a pro-active, problem solving approach. This will enhance the efforts of governmental agencies and the community at large. This division provides education, enforcement and intervention to the youth of this community.
The organizational chart for the Division of Juvenile Crime Enforcement and Intervention looks like that of an entire Sheriff's Office. Included on the chart are Gang Suppression, School Resource Deputies, D.A.R.E, Police Athletic League, along with eight other such units. Some of these might look familiar and some of these exist at other police agencies, but what is unique? What do we have that's different? Although we believe all of our juvenile programs are outstanding, there are three in particular that have drawn attention from around the country; the Juvenile Assessment Center, the Juvenile Enforcement Center and Operation Right Track.
In November, 1998 the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC) celebrated its one year anniversary of making a difference in Seminole County. The JAC has made a difference by being different than any other assessment center in the country. Seminole County's JAC is the only one that is managed by law enforcement. We may manage it, but we aren't going it alone. The JAC is a collaborative effort designed to provide central intake and screening for all juveniles referred in Seminole County. Housed within the JAC are the Department of Juvenile Justice, Treatment Alternatives to Safer Communities (TASC), the State Attorney's Office, Seminole County's Detention Deputies, Seminole County Prevention and Diversion Programs, Boys' Town and the Seminole County School District.
The JAC is a one-stop secure booking and receiving location for juvenile offenders with the goal of providing immediate clinical assessments for placement and services needs, and providing computer linkage with key agencies in the juvenile justice system. The JAC administers a clear, comprehensive assessment that gives guidance in referring the juvenile to the appropriate programs and services. In addition, the Assessment Center has a truancy program, staffed by Seminole County Schools, housed in the non-secure area of the facility.
The Seminole Truancy Alternatives for Youth (STAY) Center
The Seminole Truancy Alternatives for Youth (STAY) Center, managed by the school board, enables local law enforcement to pick up all school aged youth not attending school and bring them to the JAC. The school officials have the ability to access relevant information on each youth to ensure they are placed in the appropriate educational setting.
Within a year, the JAC has decreased the amount of time a law enforcement officer spends with each juvenile they arrest to less than 30 minutes, putting that officer back in the community. The JAC has also decreased the amount of time between crime and punishment, while providing each youth a comprehensive substance abuse and mental health assessment. Finally, the JAC has improved communication and collaboration between all of the above listed agencies.
In the past year, the Seminole County JAC processed or received 3,726 arrested juveniles, 635 truants and 286 runaways. It's been so successful that visitors, such as the State of Virginia Juvenile Justice, Ingram County (Michigan) Sheriff's Office and even Florida's Governor Jeb Bush, came to see how they could implement similar initiatives in their respective areas.
Once processing is complete at the JAC, the juvenile answers to the court, then it's our turn again to share with the youth his or her consequences. This brings to light our Juvenile Enforcement Center (JEC). Encompassed within this department are the Intensive Community Supervision Unit, Consequence Alternative Sanctions Unit and Project S.W.E.A.T..
Intensive Community Supervision Unit
The Intensive Community Supervision Unit (ICSU) is funded by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office and the State of Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The ICSU provides intensive supervision of juveniles placed on probation by the courts for felony and/or misdemeanor delinquent acts, in particular those youths who pose the highest threat level to public safety. It also supervises delinquents upon their return to the community from residential commitment programs.
In accordance with its mission, the ICSU is characterized by numerically small caseloads with frequent contacts with the youth in the community.
Consequence Alternative Sanctions Unit
Next is our Consequence Alternative Sanctions Unit. It fills the void in the juvenile justice system between community control and incarceration in a commitment program. -When delinquents are either arrested by law enforcement or charged by Department of Juvenile Justice probation officers for violating their community control, (probation) they can be sentenced by the court for five to fifteen days. Their day at the unit consists of five hours of formal classroom education provided by Excel Alternatives, Inc. at the Youth Services and Intervention Center, followed by seven hours of hard, labor-intensive work, such as removing graffiti, assisting non-profit organizations, and trash removal from public roadways.
SWEAT (Sheriff's Work Ethics and Training)
Last is a unit whose acrostic means exactly what it says, SWEAT! Project SWEAT (Sheriff's Work Ethics and Training) is a supervised community service project that allows youth who have been court ordered to complete community service as an avenue to give back to the community. Up to twenty youth meet a youth specialist who supervises them as they perform general clean up and graffiti abatement throughout the community. At the same time, the community benefits by receiving the results of the youth's actions. One of the main areas of focus for SWEAT projects is to combat the ever-growing problem of graffiti. Upon being notified of the presence of graffiti, the grafiti is documented and photographed, and the SWEAT supervisor is notified. A team is then sent to the site to paint over the graffiti. The goal is for all graffiti to be covered within twenty-four hours of its discovery. Graffiti on private property will also be covered as it has an impact of the quality of life throughout the community.
Juvenile offenders work a strenuous eight hour day. This immediate and intense consequence makes the offenders accountable for their actions and adds credence to the orders imposed by the court. In 2006, 914 juveniles attended Project SWEAT, completing over 7,000 hours thereby savng Seminole County almost $48,000.
Not every kid needs this kind of discipline. Some are just rebellious and need a quick attitude adjustment to get on the right track. We have such a program and from the response we've gotten from parent surveys, they saw such a remarkable difference in their child, they'd recommend it to other parents.
Operation Right Track
The goal of Operation Right Track is to provide sure and swift consequences for first time offenders and an avenue of intervention for parents. This program is not for hard core habitual juvenile offenders; it is for rebellious youth or for those who have had their first brush with the law. Youth who are on the edge of delinquency need a wake up call. Immediacy of consequence has long been lacking in the juvenile process. Juvenile offenders often wait several months before their charges are read in a courtroom. By then, the connection between the offense and the punishment has been diminished. Without this connection the child is more likely to continue their negative behavior.
Juveniles are accepted into Operation Right Track by the following criteria: as a court diversion in lieu of prosecution, as a condition of probation by a judge's court order or through direct parent referral.
Through positive discipline and a structured atmosphere, Drill Instructors train participants on Saturdays. Parents of children on the edge of delinquency need support and directions as well. If this initiative is to be successful, there must be consistency in consequence and continuity in philosophy to extend beyond the one day. Therefore, parent participation is a mandatory part of the OPERATION RIGHT TRACK experience. To enroll in Operation Right Track, parents must agree to participate in a1 ½ hour parenting session (from 5:00 to 8:00 PM) on the first Saturday the child attends Operation Right Track. Furthermore, the parent must agree to return with the child on a 2nd Saturday (Usually the week following the child’s first Saturday in Operation Right Track) and participate in an 8-hour Parent/Teen Challenge Day that is designed to build communication and problem solving skills within the family. The Parent/Teen Challenge Component is facilitated by Adolescent Life Coaching Center and will be conducted at 1151 E. 28th Street, Sanford, FL 32773 from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. Parents and teens must bring their own lunches and beverages to the Parent/Teen Challenge program as lunch will be conducted on-site during the training. The lunches must not be perishable or require heating.
To enhance the success of Operation Right Track, during the school year youth attending Seminole County Public Schools with an assigned School Resource Deputy or Officer are tracked for six weeks following participation in the program.
The expected outcomes of Operation Right Track are:
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Assist parents in regaining control of their youth
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Increase family’s ability to effectively communicate and problem solve
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Decrease time between offense and consequence
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Decrease recidivism for first time juvenile offenders
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Decrease referrals to juvenile court
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Provide additional support to juvenile diversion programs
For more information on Operation Right Track, please contact (407) 708-7645.
Operation Right Track page
