Joining forces with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), FAMU has opened the Juvenile Justice Research Institute (JJRI).
The JJRI is for identifying research and implementing cutting edge juvenile justice services that will address the needs of youths at greatest risk of delinquency involvement.
The DJJ obtained a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and funding of $400,000 from Florida’s Juvenile Justice State Advisory Group.
According to a FAMU a press release the project is titled the Situational Environmental Circumstances Pilot (SECP) and “will provide non-traditional strategies that will enhance youth and family engagement and development, public safety and the effectiveness of existing juvenile services and programs.”
Minority over-representation in the juvenile justice system is “when the proportion of DJJ youths who are members of minority groups exceeds the proportion such groups represent in the general population,” says the press release. “The SECP Project will emphasize individual development, academic/vocational achievement, job readiness, family and community support to 150 moderate to high-risk youth, 75 per site, receiving DJJ residential and/or community supervision services.”
According to the Civic Research Institute website the JJRI covers innovative programs, new research, and key court decisions and legislative changes juveniles must know about to be effective. Successful programs and strategies in juvenile law enforcement, prosecution, aftercare and corrections are also offered. The program will also offer residential alternatives and staff training, practical intervention and mediation strategies.