The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "juvenile justice in Florida" ...
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Drugging Delinquents
The investigation found that Florida was restraining jailed children with heavy doses of potent anti-psychotic drugs, medications that can turn troublemakers into "zombies" and cause serious health problems in kids.
Tags: juvenile; prisons; jailed children; Department of Juvenile Justice
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Revolving door for fired workers
This series investigates private contractors in Florida who hire counselors fired from similar jobs for inappropriate behavior. The reporters found that the these counselors had a history of abusing juveniles they were hired to protect. Using public records laws, the reporters collected information on the staff members working with each of the 40 private contractors. The juvenile justice agency is presently investigating the problems that were exposed.
Tags: FOIA; private contractors in Florida; private contractors for juvenile homes; juvenile justice; public records laws in Florida; juvenile justice in Florida
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Young Offenders at Risk
The Orlando Sentinel published stories on April 11, 2004 documenting the abuse committed against juveniles in Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). The state welfare agency found 661 "cases of abuse and neglect at agency facilities over nine years." Then, on December 19, 2004, The Orlando Sentinel reported that the DJJ transferred offenders to long-term facilities, thus lengthening their stay for months and years.
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Chaos and Corruption at Florida's Children Services
The Miami Herald's extensive series on two of Florida's social service agencies, the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Juvenile Justice, uncovers corruption, cronyism, abuse, and neglect. Miller's investigation exposes how administrators used their power to place valuable contracts in the hands of their friends. The report also investigates the death of Omar Paisley, a 17-year-old detainee in the Department of Juvenile Justice, who died of appendicitis while nurses and employees ignored his screams of pain and told him to "suck it up."
Tags: Florida Department of Children & Families; Florida Department of Juvenile Justice; social services; children's services
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Under 12/Under Arrest
"Grade school felons sound like anomalies or misprints. They are neither," reports the St. Petersburg Times. The story reveals that "elementary school kids who once got a stern lecture from a cop or a store clerk now are regularly arrested on felony charges" and "saddled with permanent criminal records." The investigation cites data that "more than 4,500 kids 11 and under were charged with crimes in Florida during the fiscal year that ended in June," 2000. It also reveals statistics showing "that disproportionately large number of African-Americans come in contact with the juvenile justice system." The reporter points to examples of children hurting their teachers or raping their classmates, but finds at the same time that "overall the system is not geared to handle very young kids." A major question risen by the investigation is whether Florida needs to adopt a law that prevents very young children from being formally charged and tried.
Tags: children; law enforcement; arson; crime; felony; petty larceny; courts; police; mental health; minorities; arrests; schools; teachers; parents; Pinellas; Hillsborough
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Pahokee Youth Center: A Failing Experiment
The Palm Beach Post investigated Florida's juvenile justice experiment: the Pahokee Youth Development Center, a complex housing a large number of "moderate risk" children. The children housed in Pahokee were eligible for half-way houses or "boot camps," but instead were placed in a former adult prison. Upon investigation, the publication revealed that the experiment is a disaster. The Post documented "nagging problems of incompetence and abuse. The series cited numerous instances of guards, often only a few years older than their charges, physically abusing the youth or turning a blind eye toward youth-on-youth violence."
Tags: children; violence physical injuries sexual abuse alternative education