Recommendation 1:
Establish and implement "Camp Jacksonville" for the summer of 2008

• Camp Jacksonville will be based on a successful program called 'Camp Birmingham.'  The goals of the program will be:
  • To provide meaningful work experience for area youth ages 16-22.
  • To help youth acquire essential practical business skills and a solid work ethic.
  • To help youth develop a sense of employment responsibility, self-esteem and self-confidence.
  • (Campers) to provide basic skills, organized recreation and special activities for youth ages 5-13.
• Programs and activities include:
  Academic enrichment, Arts & Crafts, Recreational Activities, Field Trips, Summer Reading Program, Music and Dance, Movies, Camp Jacksonville Olympics and much more.

Cost: $200,000 for 6 schools

 

Recommendation 2:
Re-open and secure funding for the continued operation of the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC)

• Having a fully operational JAC is critical as we work to improve intervention and rehabilitation services in our community. Timely intervention with juveniles can divert them from the wrong course and set them on a better road – one that doesn't lead back to the justice system.
• Funds coming from drug forfeiture accounts and the city's capital improvement funds have currently been allocated to make the necessary capital improvements at the JAC.

Cost: $325,110 to staff two security officers on site (other costs are already incurred by the Department of Juvenile Justice and other agencies)

 

Recommendation 3:
Maintain current inventory of intervention and prevention programs and seek additional funding for programs designed for youth/juveniles being run by the State Attorney's Office.

• The State Attorney's Office (SAO), Fourth Judicial Circuit, has made the reduction of juvenile crime its top priority over the past 17years. They believe that the only way to significantly reduce crime is to focus on juvenile justice.

Cost: $321,600 (for unfunded or under-funded programs)

 

Recommendation 4:
Recommend the establishment and further development of a portal providing referral information on re-entry services for ex-offenders

• The Jacksonville Re-entry Center  is currently a portal of entry for all local, state, and federal offenders whose residency and county of conviction was Duval and who are now returning to Duval County upon release from incarceration.

Cost: $800,000 (2008/2009)

 

Recommendation 5:
Expand operation of Drug Court, Mental Health Court and/or Re-entry Court.  Explore other opportunities to expand re-entry services to the pre-trial population to allow judges other disposition options.

• The expansion of operations for the drug court and/or re-entry court is a proven judicial practice that saves money and prevents recidivism.

 

Recommendation 6:
Recommend expanding re-entry programs, such as Operation New Hope's Ready4Work program, that are particularly attached to employment with benefits.

Cost: $1,738,000 (First year; $738,000 for program costs; $1 million to purchase/renovate building for increased capacity)

 

Recommendation 7:
Identify community-based programs, grass-roots efforts that make a significant impact and difference in the high-crime areas within the Jacksonville community and make efforts to help build capacity to these organizations.

• Create a matrix/inventory of organizations and the programs/services each offers for ex-offenders (juvenile and adult).
• Create a matrix/inventory of organizations and the programs/services each offers for intervention (juvenile and adult).
• Assist in creating more awareness within the community for the 2-1-1 Call Center, a United Way program.
  

Recommendation 8:
Request WorkSource to serve as an administrator for non-profit organizations dealing with ex-offenders.

• WorkSource could use its developed skills in obtaining and monitoring federal and state grants targeted to these non-profits. This would free up time for the non-profit to expand its capacity and core mission dealing with ex-offenders.

Cost:  $415,000

 

Recommendation 9:
Begin community-wide discussion to develop a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) program in Jacksonville (based on Annie E. Casey model).

• Boiled down to its essence, the purpose of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative is to demonstrate that jurisdictions can safely reduce reliance on secure detention and achieves the following objectives:
  • Eliminate the inappropriate or unnecessary use of secure detention
  • Minimize re-arrest and failure-to-appear rates pending adjudication
  • Ensure appropriate conditions of confinement in secure facilities
  • Redirect public finances to sustain successful reforms
  • Reduce racial and ethnic disparities

 

Recommendation 10:
Make direct efforts to lobby Jacksonville employers to hire ex-offenders.  Recommend that the City of Jacksonville make specific efforts to hire ex-offenders.

• The Jacksonville business community, both small and large companies, needs to take more pro-active measures to hire ex-offenders.
• The City of Jacksonville is one of the largest employers within the community. Specific efforts, legislation, etc needs to be undertaken to allow and encourage the City of Jacksonville to hire ex-offenders. These jobs can be in the fields of construction, manufacturing, warehousing, etc.