Florida juvenile offenders could get second and third chances to avoid arrest under legislation that took effect in October.
The new law provides for more than one civil citation from law enforcement. It offers the option of “diverting young offenders into mandatory community service for some offenses, such as getting in fights or smoking pot. Offenders are also required to write letters of apology to their victims and assessed to see if they’re likely to re-offend,” News Service of Florida reported.
“To me, it’s all about making the good decision,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said. “It’s less important the number of civil citations a kid gets – it’s the circumstances surrounding it.”
The use of civil citations has grown quickly in Florida over the past four years, going from seven to 60 of the state’s 67 counties. Advocacy groups released a study that found a 25 percent increase in the use of civil citations would save taxpayers as much as $61 million, News Service reported.
Supporters include the Children’s Campaign, the Center for Accountable Justice at Florida State University, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the James Madison Institute. They urged lawmakers to invest $2 million to expand the programs through officer training, a statewide information network and seed money for poorer counties.
