There is over 20 million people that call the State of Florida home. Within the State of Florida, we have 282 cities and 67 counties each of these counties has their own courts as well as county police departments. Within these counties there are city municipalities and agencies such as the city police. Each department in the state of Florida are many of times faces with ethical issues among themselves some may not be as bad as others but they exist and are there.
The ethical issues that arise in these different department should be addressed and come up with ways to solve the issues when they arrive. The State of Florida Juvenile Justice system has not always been around. Things that involved children and families and other issues was managed by HRS which the Department of Health and Rehabilitation Services was.
This agency tackled many different types of actions involving children, ranging from dependency actions in child abuse cases to delinquency matters for juveniles who are underage and charged with criminal acts. It was not until Legislature created the Department of Juvenile Justice (D.J.J.) is when everything was transferred from the Department of Health and Rehabilitation like property and records. Their vision is that the children and families of Florida will live in safe, nurturing communities that provide for their needs, recognize their strengths and support their success.
The mission statement of this agency states: To increase public safety by reducing juvenile delinquency through effective prevention, intervention and treatment services that strengthen families and turn around the lives of troubled youth. Florida’s Juvenile system is made up of many detention centers within the state of Florida. They have 21 juvenile detention centers in 21 counties which include both Miami-Dade and Broward county, with a total of 1342 beds. Both Miami-Dade and Broward county juvenile detention center has 100 beds at their facility. These detention centers provide custody, supervision, education and mental health/substance abuse and medical services to juveniles statewide. Some of these facilities are being privately ran by an outside company other than the state.
Florida’s Juvenile system has had many ethical issues that they have faced in various areas especially in Miami-Dade County. Issues from staff induced violence, questionable healthcare practices and incompetent supervision are just a few ethical issues that they are being faced with. Detention centers operated by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) have become infamous over the years for incidents stemming from abuse and neglect that the youths in those facility endure. There were 12 juvenile that are dead while in the care of Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). In February 2005 a 12 year old boy by the name of Michael Wiltsie who was being treated at Camp E-Kel-Etu in Marion County had died from asphyxia by the body of a 300 pound guard after being held in a “full-body restraint” by a counselor. Michael “kept yelling that he could not breathe,” a death review said. The counselor said he remained on top of the boy anyway, “because he believed the child was ‘playing possum.
” Prosecutors said they could not find evidence that the counselor “acted with utter disregard for Michael’s safety,” and so declined to file charges(Burch 2017). January 6, 2006 a 14 year old named Martin Lee Anderson was ordered to go to the Bay County Boot Camp for taking his grandmother’s jeep for a joyride. During his days at the boot camp a drill instructor instructed him to physical exercise and run laps around the track, he could not. The officers thought that he just wanted to get out of running, so they punished him with a violent takedown.
After about 30 minutes being restrained which included punches being thrown to his arms and knees he stopped breathing all the while a nurse is standing by watching. An autopsy by the Tampa medical office which was appointed by a special prosecutor office revealed its findings and stated or determined that the boy was suffocated when guards held his mouth shut and repeatedly shoved ammonia tabs up his nose. The guards and nurse was being charged with manslaughter but was later acquitted which prompt then Govenor Crist the act on behalf of Martin Lee Anderson which shut down boot camp’s that used violent tactics and pain so that the juvenile’s will comply. His father was offered 5 million dollars by the Govenor for compensation (Burch 2017). August 31, 2015 is the latest case of a juvenile that died by the hands of others a juvenile facility which was located in Miami. Elord Revolte was a 17 year old male just returning back to the unit after leaving the cafeteria oe dining hall was ambushed by several other juveniles for at least 68 seconds and it was caught on camera. The punches and the stomping that was given while laying on the floor ended up causing internal bleeding from the brutal attack.
At least 32 hours later Evolt was dead from his injuries. His death was ruled a homicide but no one was ever charged. It was not until later when one of the individuals involved in the beating told that the alleged beating was instigated by the official staff and the reward was more phone time and extra food was offered for the incident. These are just some of the ethical issues that our Juvenile system is faced with whose to blame for these issues that arise out of these vicious attacks that got the attention of the leaders and supervisors at these facilities. These things and issues has been going on for years but not until the light was shed on the issues these things was swept under the rug.
Society was not aware of the things that was going on inside these facilities. The juveniles in these facilities have to endure fear of not getting beat to death by the hands of other individuals within the same facility that they share while all the while suppose to be a secured facility. The ball has been dropped and the system has failed the children they was suppose to protect and rehabilatate. Whatever the problem or issue that they are facing no parent should never receive a phone call stating that their loved one died from the hands of other individuals at the facility that was secured. There are many issues being faced with in the department and the facilities in which these incident occurred. Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/special-reports/florida-prisons/article177889301.html#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/special-reports/florida-prisons/article177889301.html#storylink=cpy Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/special-reports/florida-prisons/article177889301.html#storylink=cpy
