Legislative Select Committee on Juvenile Detention Facilities continues investigating abuse and neglect in Florida's Juvenile Detention Facilities Do you have information on abuse or neglect of youth in any Florida juvenile detention or commitment facility?  Your information can help change the Department of Juvenile Justice!  Contact Us to provide details to justice4kids.org and we will send your information to the Committee.  Or, e-mail Committee Chair Gustavo "Gus" Barreiro or call his office at 305.643.7324.
On October 8, 2003, Florida's Legislative Select Committee on Juvenile Detention Facilities convened in Clearwater. Click here for excerpts of testimony from both the Clearwater and Miami meetings.

Larry Lumpee, DJJ's Assistant Secretary of Detention, answers questions during the Legislative Select Committee hearing in Clearwater 10/08/03. "And your problem is?" This was Larry Lumpee's response to the mother of Shawn Smith when she called him to say she has just learned that her son had died in his care. - 10/30/01 Two nurses facing murder charges surrender Wednesday morning  Carol Marbin Miller, The Miami Herald, Jan. 28, 2004 Florida lawmakers said they will seek legislation to reform a juvenile justice agency grand jurors said was plagued by ``incompetence, ambivalence and negligence.'' Lawmaker blasts Juvenile Justice leaders Ron Hurtibise, Daytona Beach News-Journal, Dec.31, 2003 Rep. Gus Barreiro, R-Miami Beach, sharply criticized department Secretary W.G. "Bill" Bankhead's handling of the department, and called on Gov. Jeb Bush to "look at" the top ranks of the department, starting with Bankhead. Bankhead "is not equipped to run this department," Barreiro said. "He's lost five kids on his watch. That's inexcusable. Someone should be held responsible." Preliminary findings of the legislative committee include: Officials in charge of detention centers have "covered up" what could be a "huge" number of abuses. Youth lock up official losing his job Carol Marbin Miller, The Miami Herald, Nov. 19, 2003 [Victor] Davidson, a juvenile justice employee for 25 years with a series of arrests and administrative reprimands over the years, was in charge of the Miami-Dade Juvenile Detention Center on June 9 when 17-year-old Omar Paisley died of a ruptured appendix after begging nurses and officers for help. Parents Urge Juvenile Justice Changes Rod Challenger, The Tampa Tribune, Oct. 9, 2003 "Rep. Gustavo Barreiro, R-Miami Beach, said the department appears to suffer from a lack of communication and accountability." Mistakes resulted in fatal fight Curtis Krueger, The St. Petersburg Times, Oct. 9, 2003 "'The department has this philosophy of just circling wagons and of trying to minimize the damage instead of just confronting the situation and dealing with it,' said Rep. Gustavo "Gus" Barreiro, chairman of the Select Committee on Juvenile Detention Facilities." Criminal negligence Series Editorial, St. Petersburg Times, Sep. 20, 2003 "Like other teens before him, Omar Paisley died in a system that tolerates abuse and neglect, fails to hold employees accountable and too often regards delinquents as little adults who need to be broken rather than troubled youth who need to be fixed." To contact the editor, click here. Youth crime detention is protest target Curtis Krueger, St. Petersburg Times, Sep. 20, 2003 "Florida needs better training for detention workers, improved mental health services and an approach that looks for ways to rehabilitate youths without locking them up." Lawsuit filed over teen's injury William R. Levesque, St. Petersburg Times, Sep. 24, 2003 "[The counselor] grabbed her arms and brought them behind her back and twisted, breaking the humerus bone in her upper arm."   Panel investigates teen's death in Miami-Dade detention center Associated Press; Sep. 11, 2003 "Mildewed sheets and pillows. Blood-stained towels. Roaches on the floor. Lack of medical care..." Jail super[intendent] moved within system He was in charge when teen died Carol Marbin Miller, The Miami Herald, Sep. 11, 2003 "When [DJJ Sec] Bankhead insisted Omar's death was not indicative of larger, systemic problems, several lawmakers pounced."

'Isolated' cases all too common Jim DeFede/Commentary, The Miami Herald, Sep. 11, 2003 'An isolated incident.' "Whenever state bureaucrats start trying to cover their own incompetence by trotting out those three little words, you can rest assured it will only be a matter of time before other examples begin to emerge." Omar's mother, Cherry Williams, . . . spoke softly, but made her desire clear: "I want justice.'' Three little words that actually have meaning. Teen who died pled for help in writing Was in acute pain 3 days in lockup Carol Marbin Miller, The Miami Herald, Sep. 10, 2003 ''If, as the hospital states, late documentation is an acceptable medical practice, how are the medical or DJJ staff to know what happened during the prior shift or prior day?'' he said. [Rep. Gustavo ''Gus''] Barreiro, [R-Miami-Dade] called the late entries part of "a big cover-up.'' Omar's death cries for an answer Who killed Omar Paisley? Jim DeFede/Commentary, Miami Herald, Sep. 09, 2003 "Bankhead has to take responsibility for a culture within the DJJ that ultimately led to Omar's death. It is a culture that at best treats these children with indifference and at worst allows them to die like animals." Ex-guard gets probation for sex with teen inmates [at Florida Institute for Girls] Wire Reports, St. Petersburg Times, Oct. 9, 2003 "Larry Curry would have faced up to 60 years in prison if convicted by a Palm Beach County jury on all charges. The plea bargain does not prohibit him from returning to work in a similar position." Grand jury look is good for [juvenile] prison  Howard Goodman, Sun-Sentinel, October 2, 2003 "The Department of Juvenile Justice, responsible for the [Florida Institute for Girls], has logged more than 150 formal allegations of sex and violence among the staff members and inmates." My son Steven "Steven had his operation over two weeks ago and I still don't know what was done to my son." ~Steve Watson 11/26/03 The Committee has done more harm than good "I felt that after 18 months my nightmare was over. No longer will I have to send letters to the Governor for help. As of now, the committee has done more harm than good..." ~Steve Watson 10/23/03 Why does Judge Webb let this abuse continue? Retaliation against Steven Watson for speaking out? You decide! "[DJJ reminded] me that [my son] could be there till he’s 22 if things with him don’t start shaping up." ~Steve Watson 10/18/03 What’s happening to my son? "[Judge Webb, when told my child needed an operation] said of my son, and I quote: "His ankle bone must be connected to his attitude bone!" ~Steve Watson 10/8/03

Proposed recommendations presented by the Select Committee during a meeting with DJJ
on Dec 10, 2003:

Proposed Recommendations	In Process of Being Implemented	Implemented
Policy/Rule that in the event of a medical emergency, any staff may call 911.	A directive has been given to staff by DJJ Secretary
Policy/Rule that DJJ leadership will make contact with the family in instances of death of a detainee in the custody of the department.	A directive has been given to staff by DJJ Secretary
Policy/Rule that in medical emergencies, if the family of the detainee cannot be contacted, local law enforcement will be notified to assist in apprising the family of the emergency.		Yes
Policy/Rule that a detainee may be interviewed without other facility staff present.		No.  Recommendation not yet presented to DJJ.
Policy/Rule that a video tape is not used more than 6 times.		No.  Recommendation not yet presented to DJJ.
Policy/Rule requiring that video camera operation and recording quality is checked at the beginning of every shift by incoming staff.  Will have a consequence if not followed.		No.  Recommendation not yet presented to DJJ.
Policy/Rule that all detention surveillance tapes be saved for 90 days.  If an incident is reported, the tape must be saved for a minimum of 6 months.		No.  Recommendation not yet presented to DJJ.
Requirement that the department keep a confidential report of detention staff, by name, that have substantiated or founded allegations of excessive or improper use of force, but have not been terminated.  The information in this report should be accessible to Legislative Members or staff by employee name or incident number.  This information should include an indication of whether the incident was referred to the Inspector General’s office or if criminal charges were filed.		No.  Recommendation not yet presented to DJJ.