Miami Dade Juvenile Detention Alternative Program (MDJDA)

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

Miami-Dade County has engaged in juvenile justice reform for the last ten years and documented a 46% reduction in juvenile arrests, an 80% reduction in re-arrests and a drop in the detention population from over 300 a day to around 100. However, in Miami Dade County there is a lack of appropriate alternatives to secure detention for non violent offenders. In 2008, 4,488 juveniles were detained for non violent offenses. The Miami Dade Juvenile Services Department will expand its internationally recognized Juvenile Justice Model by piloting the Miami Dade Juvenile Detention Alternative Program (MDJDA), an alternative to secure detention for non violent offenders. The goal of the program is to utilize GPS monitoring systems for detainable non-violent offenders, while pending trial. To achieve this goal, the following strategies will be implemented: (1) Serve a maximum of 475 clients; (2) Reduce the likelihood of re-arrest by 60%; (3) Provide the community with an alternative to secure detention to prevent delinquent risk behaviors. The project will collect data to measure the recidivism rates as well as identified process measures. NCA/NCF