F-1

Commissioner’s Request for Agenda Item
Agenda Item No.
Requested Meeting Date
Consent Section
F-1
August 20, 2014
x Regular Section
Commissioner Name:
Beckner
Date Submitted:
August 13, 2014
x Action by the BOCC
Identification of issue and referral to staff
Referral to staff for review and scheduling at a subsequent BOCC meeting
Nature of Request:
Provide staff recommendation at time of discussion
(check one)
x Time Certain requested 10:15
________AM ___________PM
Request for Waiver of
Health, Safety , or Welfare Emergency
Rules due to: (check one)
Schedule an off-the-agenda item
Deadline requires action prior to next scheduled BOCC meeting
Commissioner’s Recommended Board Motion:
Receive presentation on facilitation of JJB Civil Citation Workgroup by Dr. Allison DeFoor of FSU's
Project on Accountable Justice. Approve budget amendment in the amount of $22,300 to fund this
proposal from the Victim Assistance, Crime Prevention and Youth Advocacy Fund.
Staff Requested for Agenda Item:
County Administrator
County Attorney’s Office
Constitutional Officer
x Other: Tom Fesler
Material requested to be provided by staff:
Background:
List Attachments:
About PAJ Team; About PAJ; Proposal to Hillsborough County JJB
2
PROJECT ON ACCOUNTABLE JUSTICE Our Team
Chairman Allison DeFoor is a seventh‐generation Floridian who lives in Tallahassee. He was a long‐time adjunct faculty member of the University of Miami Law School in the Litigation Skills Program. In addition to a law degree, he holds a M.A. in Criminology, and a doctorate in theology. Dr. DeFoor began his legal career in the Florida Keys, serving as assistant public defender and in the state attorney's office. In 1982 he was elected Judge of the Monroe County Court, serving until 1987, also serving as a circuit judge. In 1988, Dr. DeFoor was elected Sheriff of Monroe County, serving until becoming Gov. Bob Martinez's running‐mate for Lieutenant Governor. He also served as Gov. Jeb Bush's "Everglades Czar". He also served in the Crist and Scott administrations in areas relating to law enforcement and justice. He is an Episcopal priest and his parish is inside Wakulla Correctional Institution. Deborrah Brodsky is the Director of the Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice (FSU‐PAJ), an independent and nonpartisan collaborative research and education center with a mission to advance public safety through evidence based policies and practices in Florida and beyond. Ms. Brodsky's previous positions include service as the Director of both the Florida TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice and the Center for Educational Performance and Accountability. Her roles at Florida TaxWatch from 1998‐2012 included: researcher, Grants Director, Director of two policy centers, and Chief of Staff. Before coming to Florida TaxWatch, Ms. Brodsky worked for the Florida Legislature from 1991‐1998. Her research spans many policy areas including state and local budgeting, juvenile and criminal justice, educational accountability and leadership, early learning, courts funding, and gubernatorial transition. 3
PROJECT ON ACCOUNTABLE JUSTICE Our Mission
The mission of the Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice (PAJ) is to advance public safety through
evidence-based practices and policies in Florida and beyond. PAJ is a collaborative public policy research laboratory
determined to find answers through data and across a spectrum of academic disciplines for practical application in
juvenile and criminal justice policy deliberations. PAJ facilitates research, public education, and dialogue to provide
reform options that turn Florida and the nation from a trajectory of expensive and outmoded practices of mass
incarceration and poor performance to stopping victimization, turning countless lives around, rebuilding families,
saving billions of taxpayer dollars and, ultimately, enhancing safety and vitality in communities across our country.
Our Board
Allison DeFoor, J.D., D.Min.
Jeffery Kronschnabl, M.P.A.
PAJ Chairman
Instructor in Charge, College of Policy and Legal Studies
St. Petersburg College/Seminole Campus
Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, J.D.
President Emeritus and Professor
Bill Law, Ph.D.
Florida State University
President , St. Petersburg College
Richard Doran, J.D.
Jim Murdaugh, Ph.D.
Ausley & McMullen
President, Tallahassee Community College
Fred Gainous, Ph.D.
David Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Professor and Former President
Dean, College of Social Sciences & Public Policy
Florida A&M University
Florida State University
Byron Johnson, Ph.D.
Stephen Perrone, P.A.
Director, Institute for Studies of Religion
Business Succession Strategies & Solutions
Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences,
Baylor University
4
Stucture
The Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice (PAJ) is housed at FSU and is a unique partnership
between Florida State University, Baylor University’s Program on Prosocial Behavior, the Institute for Strategic Policy
Solutions at St. Petersburg College, and the Florida Public Safety Institute at Tallahassee Community College. PAJ is
governed by an Executive Committee committed to seeking comprehensive and systemic policy solutions that will
promote rational justice reforms. The body is actively engaged in the budgeting, planning, governance, and
fundraising initiatives of PAJ.
Operating Cornerstones
1.
Fidelity to data;
2.
Transparency of finances; and
3.
Mutual Accountability between partners and the public.
Principles for Criminal and Juvenile Justice Reform

Public safety is paramount;

Criminal justice systems and participants must be fully accountable;

Crime victimization must be reduced;

Children in the justice system should be treated differently than adults;

Justice includes, along with the traditional concepts of punishment and retribution, the concepts of restorative
justice, redemption, education, rehabilitation, and reintegration;

Rehabilitation of offenders is essential to family stability, community vitality, and economic growth;

Criminal justice systems must seek ways to incentivize good behavior across all participants; and

Success in criminal justice is measurable.
For more information, please visit our website at: iog.fsu.edu/paj/
Contact:
Deborrah Brodsky, Director
FSU Project on Accountable Justice
[email protected]
5
FSU Project on Accountable Justice Proposal to Hillsborough County Juvenile Justice Board: A Path Forward for Civil Citation Expansion Introduction Over the past several years, much work has been conducted to advance the practices and policies of juvenile justice in Hillsborough County. Notably, since 2010, when the County’s civil citation program was transferred to the Administrative Office of the Courts, several “next steps” toward improving youth outcomes and advancing public safety have been identified.1 These identified areas provide multiple avenues through which the County can leverage the latest in research and evidence to both expand upon and improve the service delivery of its civil citation program for eligible Hillsborough County youth. It is apparent in reviewing materials2 that a path forward must include essential consensus ownership of next steps from multiple stakeholders. Juvenile Justice is a shared community responsibility and continued progress in the implementation of civil citation demands greater cooperation among all involved agencies and interested stakeholders with a shared commitment to clearer objectives and priorities. As it is in any community, in order to be effective in addressing systemic issues, it is imperative that inherent conflicts arising from the many different institutional perspectives from key stakeholders be sorted through and negotiated to reach common cause. As such, the 13th Judicial Circuit would benefit from a facilitated consensus building exercise conducted by a uniquely qualified and independent facilitator: The Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice (FSU‐PAJ). Proposal FSU Project on Accountable Justice proposes to provide non‐biased, research‐informed facilitation services to Hillsborough County in order to advance public safety and youth outcomes through the improvement of civil citation. The purpose of this engagement is to present a set of prioritized consensus goals that will forge a path forward for the community in 1
See: Hillsborough County Juvenile Justice Task Force, Juvenile Civil Citation Final Report, May 2011; Dembo, R.,
th
Process Evaluation of the 13 Judicial Circuit, Juvenile Diversion Program, Juvenile Alternative to Arrest Program,
September 2011; and Meyers, K., Hillsborough County Civil Citation Program Final Evaluation Report: Assessing the
existing service delivery system for youth referred from the Juvenile Arrest Avoidance Program (JAAP) (i.e. civil
citation program) so as to develop a strategy to design future evaluations and to understand service effectiveness,
November 2013.
2
Id.
2 6
ensuring civil citation is meeting the promise of its intended role in a coordinated, cost‐effective juvenile justice system. These goals will be captured through a series of meetings with key stakeholders, including, but not limited to: County Officials, Courts Officials, Law Enforcement, State Attorney/Public Defender, Service Providers, and the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. It is the intention of FSU‐PAJ to hold the meetings in Hillsborough County. Starting from Shared Goals and Mutual Understanding:  This exercise will be conducted in recognition of, and any strategies developed from, will begin with the simple premise that all stakeholders are working towards achieving the same outcomes.  A structured questionnaire will serve as the baseline for discussion for each interview. FSU‐PAJ will develop an interview framework that includes a brief overview of relevant, relatable data, trends, and recognized system challenges to begin the process of gathering input. This starting point is intended to orient all stakeholders in order to begin the process of system wide issue identification and prioritization.  Leveraging previous and any ongoing work in identifying the existing service and implementation gaps,3 questions and conversation in interviews will be directed to identify areas where there is room for advancement.  Each individual interview will result in a list of prioritized goals that will serve as the collective basis for an action plan going forward. Deliverable The facilitation will result in (no fewer than three) mutually agreed upon prioritized goals and a recommended action plan will be presented to the Hillsborough County Juvenile Justice Board, including any identified system challenges that remain as inherent barriers to continued progress. 3
See: Hillsborough County Juvenile Justice Task Force, Juvenile Civil Citation Final Report, May 2011; Dembo, R.,
Process Evaluation of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Juvenile Diversion Program, Juvenile Alternative to Arrest Program,
September 2011; and Meyers, K., Hillsborough County Civil Citation Program Final Evaluation Report: Assessing the
existing service delivery system for youth referred from the Juvenile Arrest Avoidance Program (JAAP) (i.e. civil
citation program) so as to develop a strategy to design future evaluations and to understand service effectiveness,
November 2013.
3 7
Total Cost: $22,300 10 days’ travel+ $7230: 7 days’ travel expenses for interview days and 3 days’ travel expenses for presentations Mileage= 2670 (10 @ 600 miles roundtrip to Tampa from Tallahassee, plus local travel/state rate at 44.5/mile) Hotel= 3500 (10 nights at 175/night for two consultants) Meals=1060 (travel time @ state rate) Consultant Fees= $15,000 ($1,000 for 15 days) About FSU Project on Accountable Justice The mission of the Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice (PAJ) is to advance public safety through evidence‐based practices and policies in Florida and beyond. PAJ is a collaboration of Florida State University, Baylor University, St. Petersburg College and Tallahassee Community College determined to find answers through data and across a spectrum of academic disciplines for practical application in juvenile and criminal justice policy deliberations. PAJ facilitates research, public education, and dialogue to provide reform options that turn Florida and the nation from a trajectory of expensive and outmoded practices of mass incarceration and poor performance to stopping victimization, turning countless lives around, rebuilding families, saving billions of taxpayer dollars and, ultimately, enhancing safety and vitality in communities across our country. PAJ Operating Cornerstones 1. Fidelity to data; 2. Transparency of finances; and 3. Mutual Accountability between partners and the public. PAJ Principles for Criminal and Juvenile Justice Reform 
Public safety is paramount; 
Criminal justice systems and participants must be fully accountable; 
Crime victimization must be reduced; 
Children in the justice system should be treated differently than adults; 
Justice includes, along with the traditional concepts of punishment and retribution, the concepts of restorative justice, redemption, education, rehabilitation, and reintegration; 
Rehabilitation of offenders is essential to family stability, community vitality, and economic growth; 
Criminal justice systems must seek ways to incentivize good behavior across all participants; and 
Success in criminal justice is measurable. 4 8
PAJ Team Chairman Allison DeFoor is a seventh‐generation Floridian who lives in Tallahassee. He was a long‐time adjunct faculty member of the University of Miami Law School in the Litigation Skills Program. In addition to a law degree, he holds a M.A. in Criminology, and a doctorate in theology. Dr. DeFoor began his legal career in the Florida Keys, serving as assistant public defender and in the state attorney's office. In 1982 he was elected Judge of the Monroe County Court, serving until 1987, also serving as a circuit judge. In 1988, Dr. DeFoor was elected Sheriff of Monroe County, serving until becoming Gov. Bob Martinez's running‐mate for Lieutenant Governor. He also served as Gov. Jeb Bush's "Everglades Czar". He also served in the Crist and Scott administrations in areas relating to law enforcement and justice. He is an Episcopal priest and his parish is inside Wakulla Correctional Institution. Deborrah Brodsky is the Director of the Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice (FSU‐
PAJ), an independent and nonpartisan collaborative research and education center with a mission to advance public safety through evidence based policies and practices in Florida and beyond. Ms. Brodsky's previous positions include service as the Director of both the Florida TaxWatch Center for Smart Justice and the Center for Educational Performance and Accountability. Her roles at Florida TaxWatch from 1998‐2012 included: researcher, Grants Director, Director of two policy centers, and Chief of Staff. Before coming to Florida TaxWatch, Ms. Brodsky worked for the Florida Legislature from 1991‐1998. Her research spans many policy areas including state and local budgeting, juvenile and criminal justice, educational accountability and leadership, early learning, courts funding, and gubernatorial transition. 5 BOCC MEETING AGENDA
SUPPLEMENT
MEETING DATE: August 20, 2014
F-1:
Additional Material
AGENDA ITEM No.:
F-1 (Commissioner Beckner)
This information will be uploaded and available on COIN.

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