The Florida Senate

985.415  Community Juvenile Justice Partnership Grants.--

(1)  GRANTS; CRITERIA.--

(a)  In order to encourage the development of county and district juvenile justice plans and the development and implementation of county and district interagency agreements among representatives of the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Children and Family Services, law enforcement, and school authorities, the community juvenile justice partnership grant program is established, which program shall be administered by the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(b)  The department shall only consider applications which at a minimum provide for the following:

1.  The participation of the local school authorities, local law enforcement, and local representatives of the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children and Family Services pursuant to a written interagency partnership agreement. Such agreement must specify how community entities will cooperate, collaborate, and share information in furtherance of the goals of the district and county juvenile justice plan; and

2.  The reduction of truancy and in-school and out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, and the enhancement of school safety.

(c)  In addition, the department may consider the following criteria in awarding grants:

1.  The district juvenile justice plan and any county juvenile justice plans that are referred to or incorporated into the district plan, including a list of individuals, groups, and public and private entities that participated in the development of the plan.

2.  The diversity of community entities participating in the development of the district juvenile justice plan.

3.  The number of community partners who will be actively involved in the operation of the grant program.

4.  The number of students or youths to be served by the grant and the criteria by which they will be selected.

5.  The criteria by which the grant program will be evaluated and, if deemed successful, the feasibility of implementation in other communities.

(2)  GRANT APPLICATION PROCEDURES.--

(a)  Each entity wishing to apply for an annual community juvenile justice partnership grant, which may be renewed for a maximum of 2 additional years for the same provision of services, shall submit a grant proposal for funding or continued funding to the department by March 1 of each year. The department shall establish the grant application procedures. In order to be considered for funding, the grant proposal shall include the following assurances and information:

1.  A letter from the chair of the county juvenile justice council confirming that the grant application has been reviewed and found to support one or more purposes or goals of the juvenile justice plan as developed by the council.

2.  A rationale and description of the program and the services to be provided, including goals and objectives.

3.  A method for identification of the juveniles at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system who will be the focus of the program.

4.  Provisions for the participation of parents and guardians in the program.

5.  Coordination with other community-based and social service prevention efforts, including, but not limited to, drug and alcohol abuse prevention and dropout prevention programs, that serve the target population or neighborhood.

6.  An evaluation component to measure the effectiveness of the program in accordance with the provisions of s. 985.412.

7.  A program budget, including the amount and sources of local cash and in-kind resources committed to the budget. The proposal must establish to the satisfaction of the department that the entity will make a cash or in-kind contribution to the program of a value that is at least equal to 20 percent of the amount of the grant.

8.  The necessary program staff.

(b)  The department shall consider the following in awarding such grants:

1.  The number of youths from 10 through 17 years of age within the geographical area to be served by the program. Those geographical areas with the highest number of youths from 10 through 17 years of age shall have priority for selection.

2.  The extent to which the program targets high juvenile crime neighborhoods and those public schools serving juveniles from high crime neighborhoods.

3.  The validity and cost-effectiveness of the program.

4.  The degree to which the program is located in and managed by local leaders of the target neighborhoods and public schools serving the target neighborhoods.

5.  The recommendations of the juvenile justice council as to the priority that should be given to proposals submitted by entities within a county.

6.  The recommendations of the juvenile justice board as to the priority that should be given to proposals submitted by entities within a district.

(c)  The department shall make available, to anyone wishing to apply for such a grant, information on all of the criteria to be used in the selection of the proposals for funding pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.

(d)  The department shall review all program proposals submitted. Entities submitting proposals shall be notified of approval not later than June 30 of each year.

(e)  Each entity that is awarded a grant as provided for in this section shall submit an annual evaluation report to the department, the district juvenile justice manager, the district juvenile justice board, and the county juvenile justice council, by a date subsequent to the end of the contract period established by the department, documenting the extent to which the program objectives have been met, the effect of the program on the juvenile arrest rate, and any other information required by the department. The department shall coordinate and incorporate all such annual evaluation reports with the provisions of s. 985.412. Each entity is also subject to a financial audit and a performance audit.

(f)  The department may establish rules and policy provisions necessary to implement this section.

(3)  RESTRICTIONS.--This section does not prevent a program initiated under a community juvenile justice partnership grant established pursuant to this section from continuing to operate beyond the 3-year maximum funding period if it can find other funding sources. Likewise, this section does not restrict the number of programs an entity may apply for or operate.

History.--s. 75, ch. 97-238.