Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Page 1
BRIEFING REPORT
PROSECUTION OF SERIOUS JUVENILE OFFENSES AND YOUTH ACCOUNTABILITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report examines the importance of prosecution to help ensure deterrence through accountability and to ensure that serious offenders are given access to the research-supported interventions provided by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
Eric S. Hall, Secretary
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Page 2
METHODOLOGY
This report provides an analysis of serious juvenile offenses that are not processed through the court system to disposition. Dispositions to sanctions with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FDJJ) provide accountability, which plays an important role in deterring future offending, and provide youth with access to research-informed assessment and treatment approaches that address their specific criminogenic needs. This report examines referrals, which are similar to an arrest in the adult criminal justice system, that included at least one felony, violent felony, or firearm felony to determine whether all charges on the referral were non-filed, meaning no charges were formally filed or nolle prosequi, meaning after the filing, the State Attorney’s Office decided to no longer pursue the case. Some referrals are for a single charge, though it is common for referrals to include multiple charges. If all charges associated with a referral are non-filed or receive a nolle prosequi, then the youth does not receive any consequences or treatment resulting from that referral. The timeframe for the analysis includes referrals received between November 1, 2021, and October 31, 2022. Dispositions and non-file or nolle prosequi outcomes recorded any time between November 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, are included. The selection of these date parameters permitted sufficient time for the majority of cases to be fully processed.
Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Page 3
Table of Contents
FLORIDA’S JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: A RESEARCH-SUPPORTED APPROACH TO BUILDING STRONGER, SAFER COMMUNITIES .............................................................................................................. 4 REHABILITATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ..................................................................................................... 4 NON-FILE AND NOLLE PROSEQUI OUTCOMES BY CIRCUIT ....................................................................... 5 Non-file and Nolle Prosequi Outcomes for all Felony Referrals ...................................................................... 6 Non-file and Nolle Prosequi Outcomes for Firearm Referrals ......................................................................... 6