Juvenile Justice Citizens Academy

Learn about the Juvenile Justice System!

 

The Juvenile Justice Citizens’ Academy is designed to provide members of the community with the opportunity to gain specific knowledge about the workings of the Pinellas County’s juvenile justice system.

 

The Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Citizens’ Academy will increase awareness and understanding of the way the juvenile justice system works in Pinellas County. To do this, we'll learn about services and responsibilities at state, county and local levels. The more informed a citizen is about the system, the more likely they can partner effectively with youth in the juvenile justice system.

Experts agree that strengthening young people’s connections to the community is perhaps the best way to reduce recidivism. Increasing community capacity to work with youth incarcerated and at risk for incarceration is the key to sustaining systemic reform of the juvenile justice system.

Participants will be able to meet face to face with county and state administrators and decision-makers. Through exciting field trips and exercises, participants will learn first-hand how Pinellas County stakeholders provide services to incarcerated and at-risk youth and their families. Each week, the class will meet at a different facility for an up close view of how services are provided for incarcerated and at-risk youth and their families in Pinellas County.

The program is informational and does not train or promote citizens to act in a law enforcement capacity.

Next Session: begins March 2 – May 18, 2017

• All session are held on: Thursdays, 6 - 9 p.m. at various locations throughout Pinellas County
• Class enrollment is limited to 25 persons.
• Application - Deadline: February 10, 2017
• Sessions 1 -10 Overview are designed to be information and provide an on-site experience with the providers and experts.
• The curriculum is a 10-week, one session per week program. This 10- week program gives a behind the scene looks at various components of the juvenile justice system through hands-on participation and expert speakers.

• Free. Participants are required to attend 8 of the 10 sessions in order to graduate from this program.
• Any resident of Pinellas County is eligible to attend. Business leaders, civic representatives, as well as members of the community are encouraged to participate.

Participants in the Academy will:

• Learn about the Juvenile Justice system from prevention to commitment.
  
• Understand how citizens can become engaged in Juvenile Justice;
  
• Participate in dialogue with local elected officials and staff

Fees and Attendance:

• The program is offered free of charge. Participants are required to attend 8 of the 10 sessions in order to graduate from this program.

 

Contact Pinellas County JDAI Coordinator, Gina Gibbs at (727) 453-7436 or ggibbs@pinellascounty.org for additional information.

 

If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this program, you are entitled, at no cost, to the provision of certain assistance.  If you need assistance, contact the Pinellas County Office of Human Rights at (727)464-4062.

 

 

 

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