State Attorney Community Prosecutions Safe Schools

The State Attorney Sixth Judicial Circuit will implement its Community Processing Attorney Service System (COMPASS) to juvenile offenders in eight, at-risk, Florida communities. An alternative to standard prosecution, COMPASS is a comprehensive intervention into juvenile offenders' homes, schools, and communities. The program aims to promote public safety by reducing juvenile offenses while improving juveniles' self esteem, reducing fear, and teaching acceptable behavior. Based on the Balanced and Restorative Justice Model (BARJ), the program's strategy extends the authority of the prosecutor to all aspects of a juvenile's life and requires juveniles to accept responsibility for their actions, make restitution, and enhance their personal, social, and educational skills. The State Attorney will report to OJJDP on performance outputs including juveniles' compliance with community-based sanctions, school and family requirements, and victim restoration. A final set of performance measures focused on public safety outcomes will be developed in collaboration with the American Prosecutors Research Institute at Florida Atlantic University. NCA/NCF