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Juvenile justice head vows
improvements Promises any budget cuts will not stop progress
August 4, 2007
By Stephen D. Price
TALLAHASSEE — Faced with budget
cuts, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Walt McNeil
is aiming to improve his agency’s operations with less money and
reduced services.
He has named a 25-member Blueprint
Commission to chart a new direction for the tarnished agency, but
they will do that with fewer resources.
“I’m hopeful we escape the knife,”
McNeil said. “Whatever resources are given by the Legislature, we
will make it work, but services will suffer.”
State agencies have been told to
cut their spending by 4 percent because of a revenue shortfall in
the recently ended fiscal year and reduced projections for money
coming into state coffers in the year ahead.
This year’s DJJ budget is $709.33
million.
But if severe budget cuts are
required — Gov. Charlie Crist has asked for contingency plans to cut
up to 10 percent — McNeil said that if the agency loses 10 percent
some detention centers will close, and some aftercare and
rehabilitation programs will be canceled, in addition to other cuts.
The former Tallahassee police chief said he is not sure how much his
agency's budget will be cut.
Since taking over DJJ McNeil has
made prevention services his mantra, and wants the agency to do more
than just crime and punishment. The agency is still reeling from the
Martin Lee Anderson death, the Panama City teen who was roughed up
by drill instructors at the Bay County juvenile boot camp and died a
day later. Bay County contracted with DJJ to run the camp.
In June, Anderson's parents
received a $5 million settlement from the state and the seven drill
instructors and camp nurse go to trial Oct. 3, charged with felony
aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Last year DJJ scrapped all the
juvenile boot camps and replaced them with STAR academies, modeled
after a program in Martin County that places more emphasis on
prevention programs for juveniles and follow-up counseling when
youthful offenders are released.
McNeil said Anderson's death was
tragic and should not be forgotten.
“(It) will stand as an ever-present
reminder of what should never happen again.”
The 25-member Blueprint Commission,
made up of community leaders and juvenile justice officials, is
charged with helping reform DJJ. It will conduct hearings around the
state and make recommendations to the Legislature and Crist.
The commission is chaired by
Florida Atlantic University President and former Lieutenant Governor
Frank Brogan.
Martin County Sheriff Robert
Crowder is a member of the commission and said he's been
disillusioned by Florida's approach to juvenile justice in the past,
but is confident in McNeil.
“They (Florida) have not spent
adequate funds on treatment,” said Crowder, whose juvenile boot camp
was lauded for its service but closed for lack of funding.
But Crowder is optimistic about the
Blueprint Commission. “I hope the outcome will be a more realistic
and effective approach to juvenile justice. ... I have a feeling
this will be meaningful.”
McNeil wants to turn around
Florida's wayward youth through counseling, strengthening families
and better training his staff on how to deal with domestic violence.
He also wants to put more youth in
smaller facilities of 30 beds or less.
“It's easier to provide treatment
and better for socialization,” McNeil said.
He wants to decrease the number of
girls entering the system, mostly for truancy and running away, by
using more therapy and helping them with their home life.
Despite budget cuts, McNeil said he
wants the department's agenda, with help from the Blueprint
Commission, to make a difference.
“We have to march forward and
continue to make improvements.”
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