The Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse is sponsored by the Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Project, at Florida State University and Florida A & M University. Our goal is to be your one-stop Web site for juvenile justice information, programs for at-risk youth, and employment opportunities within this field. Once you recognize our icons, you'll be navigating our site like a pro.

A comprehensive collection of links covering all aspects of the juvenile justice system and the related problems of juvenile delinquency. Are delinquent kids victimizers or victims? Are drug, school, and gang problems becoming worse or improving? In what ways does the juvenile justice system both hold youth accountable for their actions and attempt to assist in restoring them to full community participation? Using the Clearinghouse's Juvenile Justice Links you'll be able to research these and many other questions.

Coming soon; a fully searchable data base of jobs available in the juvenile justice system. For now, visit our list of agency which offer employment opportunities on their Web sites.

At-risk youth have problems in school and often require specialized alternative educational opportunities. The Clearinghouse offers not only ways to connect with state departments of education, but examples of the many types of education programs currently available for this population. Here you'll find contact points for alternative schhols, second chance schools, anti-truancy programs, and education curriculum for youth under juvenile justice supervision.

Locating which state government agencies have jurisdiction over delinquent youth is not an easy task. Some states, like Florida, have a state Department of Juvenile Justice. Others have adult youth authorities, family courts, or health and welfare departments. On this Clearinghouse page, you will find a reference for each state and find out who supervises at-risk populations.

Many states have hundreds of public and private programs and facilities for delinquent kids. From our Juvenile Justice Programs page, visitors can quickly locate service providers by state. We'll also be publishing reports and evaluation research (e.g. Florida) so the public can gage how good a job agencies are doing.

Unique Public-Private Partnership

While juvenile crime is not a problem of recent origin, shocking juvenile crime statistics and the resulting public outcry have focused attention on the need for change in the management of juvenile offenders in Florida and nationwide. The Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program was established to meet a critical shortage of trained professionals for programs that provide young people with strong, positive role models in their communities.

The Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program is a collaboration of two public universities, providing a pool of more than 40,000 students from a wide geographical area and a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines. Whether they are athletes; education, computer science, or engineering majors; music or theater students; or pursuing a degree program in social work, criminal justice, or human sciences; students in the program all share common interests C working with young people and making a difference within communities to help curb the growing problem of juvenile delinquency and crime.

The Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program has already placed more than 60 interns in communities across the state of Florida including Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Pensacola, Tampa/St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach, and outside of Florida in Arizona, New York, and Tennessee. The success of the program has been greatly enhanced through the input and financial assistance of our corporate partners, who recognize the great need for this program and who desire to play a leading role in improving the quality of life in the communities where they operate. These include Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the Florida Retail Federation, and Pratt & Whitney/United Technologies.

In Florida, additional support has been provided by the Department of Juvenile Justice, Florida Board of Regents, Commissioner of Education, and the State Legislature. This unique partnership of governmental entities and private concerns constitutes a new, more effective, and more efficient model for delivering services to those who are most in need, and reflects a renewed focus on serving youth within the communities they live.

"Breaking the Cycle"

The Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program is committed to the belief that the best time to intervene in the cycle of violence is with our youth. The program actively seeks additional nationwide partners C individuals, corporations, and foundations who are interested in supporting intervention programs for our youth that really work. Part of this strategy is to increase the program=s endowment fund, which will provide a reliable source of income for:

• Student internships in social service agencies.
• Student scholarships.
• Faculty/staff leadership.
• Innovative, computer-based educational techniques for at-risk youth.
• Development and implementation of programs that serve kids in their communities.
• Research to determine effectiveness of programs.

Gifts of $100,000 or more to endow the Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program are eligible to receive matching funds from the Florida Legislature=s Major Gift Challenge Grant Program.

Specialized, Innovative Curriculum

The course of study is drawn from the disciplines of criminology, sociology, psychology, education, social work, and humanities, and is structured to give students a unique blend of academic work and practical experience as volunteers in community programs. This strategy does more than provide students with hands-on training C it gives youth management agencies in our communities additional human resources and the opportunity to observe and recruit exceptionally prepared professionals to staff their facilities. Field experiences emphasize interaction, communication, and mentorship. Both criminal justice majors and other students who wish to concentrate in juvenile justice will benefit.

Required Courses 

Juvenile Delinquency and the Juvenile Justice System includes analysis of delinquency types, theories of causation, and processing in the system with an emphasis on philosophical, legal, and procedural principles. A field laboratory allows students to make careful observations and critical analyses of the juvenile justice system

Social Problems of Youth is a contemporary overview focusing on the influence of violence in schools and families, and analysis of gang behavior and culture. Field experience gives opportunities for direct one-on-one contact with youth through organizations such as Time Out! and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

Youth Management, Community Organization and Advocacy is an introduction to the identification, prevention, and solution of individual, family, and community problems while managing and setting policies for youth service agencies. Advocacy skills, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution techniques are studied. Field work involves active participation in community planning projects.

Multicultural Perspectives on Adolescence and Adolescent Development studies the impact of racism on adolescent development with emphasis on educational systems and alternative programs.

Race, Class and Justice assesses the impact of races, classes, cultures, and gender on society, with intense focus on the role of racism and neoracism in the criminal justice system.

Internship Placements first emphasize observation techniques, research skills, and writing, then counseling practices, special skills, and special education issues.

Field Research Methods is particularly attentive to observation and interviewing techniques and critical analysis, and is designed to teach students how to collect, analyze, and interpret data, and evaluate various practices. 

Sample Elective Courses 

Theory and Dynamics of Racism and Oppression

Criminal and Delinquent Behavior

Juvenile Law

Sociology of the Black Experience

Foundations of Early Childhood Education

Learning Disabilities: Theory, Diagnosis and Teaching Strategies

Adolescent Growth and Development

Cultural Awareness

Adolescent Abuse and Substance Abuse

Clinical and Counseling Psychology

Community Psychology

Public Administration in American Society

Social Work with Black Families

Introduction to Social Welfare

Introduction to the Socially and Emotionally Disturbed

For obtain more information, please e-mail the program director or contact:

Stephanie Bush-Baskette
Program Director
Room 155C
Bellamy Building
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-2170
(850) 644-4299 (p) (850) 644-9614 (f)