New Report
“Stepping Up: Florida’s Top Juvenile Civil Citation Efforts 2016″ shows three counties— Duval, Hillsborough, Orange — were responsible for nearly one-quarter of all statewide arrests.
Florida’s second annual comprehensive study of alternatives to juvenile arrests for common youth misbehavior — called “Stepping Up: Florida’s Top Juvenile Civil Citation Efforts 2016” — shows counties that arrest youth rather than issue civil citations create more reoffenders who generate more crime, running counter to law enforcement’s basic responsibility to reduce crime. Juvenile civil citations are an alternative to arrest for common youth misbehavior.
Authored by one of Florida’s top juvenile civil citation experts and supported by state and national juvenile justice reform organizations, the study also shows increasing the use of civil citations statewide up to 75% would enable law & order entities to invest up to $62 million in preventing and addressing felonies and serious crimes, as well as significantly improve life outcomes for nearly 7,000 arrested youth.
The 2016 top-performing counties for civil citation include: Baker, Bay, Broward, Dade, Lafayette, Leon, Pinellas, Seminole, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Union, Wakulla.
This nonpartisan study was written and researched by Dewey Caruthers, president of dewey & associates, with support from Florida PTA, ACLU of Florida, The Children’s Campaign, Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice, James Madison Institute, Jesse Ball DuPont Fund, and Joseph W. & Terrell S. Clark.
