JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville may be changing the way it handles troubled children.
The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee has recommended the transfer of Juvenile Diversion to the Kids Hope Alliance, but the two groups would still work together.
Right now, parts of the country are turning to diversion programs to deal with children who have committed crimes.
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Methods that focus on rehabilitating the child and the option for police to hand out civil citations are used by the State Attorney’s Office in appropriate cases.
According to data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the use of civil citations has saved more than $3.2 million taxpayer dollars.
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“We hope to see hundreds of kids, we want to build it right not trying to build it fast we want to build it correctly.”
Joe Peppers, CEO of the Kids Hope Alliance said a nonprofit would come in to run the program, and the city would pay.
Programs sucha as Scared Straight and jail visits would no longer be part of any diversion.
“Traumatizing children that come through the justice system is not the way forward for the City of Jacksonville,” Peppers said.
The Kids Hope Alliance said they are hoping to fully take over diversion by the end of the year.
Cox Media Group
