Proposed state budget cuts could have serious
consequences
Funding juvenile justice
As the Florida House and Senate budgets stand, cuts
proposed for the Department of Juvenile Justice could adversely affect
the health and safety of state residents and abandon many of our youth
who desperately need assistance.
At the beginning of April, Treasure Coast law
enforcement and social service representatives urged citizens to let
their legislators know that the cuts being proposed will ultimately
cost the taxpayers more money and reverse progress that has been made
in reducing juvenile crime.
"Our legislators need to hear from you now. Please
understand, we will not save money by sustaining these cuts," said
Christine Epps, projects coordinator for the St. Lucie County Shared
Services Network Executive Roundtable.
The Senate plan is the most generous in that it
would fully fund juvenile crime prevention programs but cut the DJJ
budget by less than 1 percent. The House plan would cut the DJJ budget
by 2.2 percent and eliminate 232 juvenile probation officer positions.
That's in addition to the reduction last year of 293 positions in
probation and community relations.
The budget plan of Gov. Jeb Bush is the most
draconian, proposing to cut the DJJ budget by 9 percent and
eliminating diversionary and preventive programs now serving some
67,000 youth statewide.
Among programs slated to be eliminated is the PACE
(Practical Academic Cultural Education) Center program for girls,
which serves 5,000 at-risk girls statewide, including at a center in
Fort Pierce.
A national model for girls involved in the juvenile
justice system, PACE has a proven track record of turning around the
lives of girls in trouble. Participants show an improvement in
academic functioning and major reductions in crimes, drug use, alcohol
use and runaway behavior.
Taking the program away and putting the girls in
traditional classrooms or on the street makes no sense. As with other
prevention programs being considered for elimination, the result may
be an increased threat for communities and the need to house more boys
and girls in jail — at a much higher cost to the public.
To put it simply, the state cannot afford not to
shortchange an effective Department of Juvenile Justice. We join law
enforcement and social service agencies in urging citizens to let
their legislators and the governor know that the cuts proposed are
unacceptable and, in reality, morally indefensible.
Time is running out, though — for the budgets, for
future taxpayers, for community safety and for tens of thousands of
young people. Action to stop the cuts is needed immediately.
17 April 2003
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/the_news_editorials/article/0,1651,TCP_1033_1873412,00.html
