In 1996, Jacksonville community leaders convened in a Comprehensive Strategy Task Force to identify problems and recommend solutions to the area's juvenile crime problems. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Offender-Based Programs coordinates the City of Jacksonville's efforts to implement those recommendations. The task force's original findings and recommendations were published in the May, 1998, report: What Do You See?
The report identified the significant issues related to juvenile crime in our community and set forth immediate, short-term, and long-term recommendations to reduce juvenile crime. A complementary risk/protective factor approach was utilized for the implementation of the strategy with the final goal being the reduction of juvenile crime in Jacksonville by 40 percent by the year 2015.
At the end of 2006, a new executive order (2007-01) was signed by Mayor John Peyton. This executive order brought a new vitality and focus for the committee. The purpose of the Steering Committee was to act as a community advisory board to the Mayor, Sheriff, State Attorney and the School Superintendent on issues concerning juvenile justice. This would be accomplished by (1) acting in a collaborative effort to identify, monitor, and advocate for juvenile delinquency prevention and rehabilitative services (2) promoting protective factors for juveniles (3) engaging the community in activities that reduce juvenile delinquency (4) the development of a juvenile justice web-based resource guide (5) identifying areas of gaps and promote efforts to fill in services for the prevention of juvenile delinquency and (6) advocating for services and activities that impact the reduction of juvenile disproportionate minority contact.
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Progress and change exemplified the 2006-2007 calendar years for the City of Jacksonville's Juvenile Justice Comprehensive Strategy (JJCS). Through the composition of new Steering Committee members and initiatives for at-risk youth, the JJCS remained committed to reducing Jacksonville's six priority risk factors: Economic Deprivation, Family Management Problems, Early Academic Failure, Lack of Commitment to School, Availability and Use of Drugs, and Mental Health Problems.
Analysis of the data in this report shows that juvenile crime remains a significant challenge, with family management issues and lack of access to essential services as major contributors to the juvenile crime problem within the Jacksonville community.
VISION FOR THE FUTURE:
By 2010, the committee seeks to be a catalyst in creating more opportunities for the citizens of Jacksonville to better access appropriate health and human services programs in order to combat the six primary risk factors that affect the instances of juvenile crime in the Jacksonville community. The Committee's ongoing partnership with the United Way 211 system will work to provide a link to services for all members of our community, especially parents and professionals working with children. Full integration of juvenile justice related programs and support services into the United Way 211 system will serve to facilitate a more comprehensive approach for informing residents of the services available within the Jacksonville community.
The Committee will continue to work towards identifying, monitoring, and advocating for juvenile delinquency prevention and rehabilitative services with the community. The development of a comprehensive juvenile justice data repository will identify areas of service gaps and locations that will promote current and future efforts in the prevention of juvenile delinquency. Additionally, the JJCS will develop other community partnerships to explore resources that would be beneficial to meeting the most critical needs in the Jacksonville community.
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Sharel Grissett-Macon, Administrator
City of Jacksonville
Office of Juvenile Justice and Offender-Based Programs
117 West Duval St., Suite 150-A
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 630-1212 ext 4236
Fax: (904) 630-4938
Email: SharelG@coj.net