Pahokee Pals Afterschool Program where the Pumas have been Introducing Soccer
It is stated in the report by the Florida Juvenile Justice Department, that the most popular time for juvenile crime to occur is during the hours of 3PM to 6 PM, notably during the afterschool hours. It is during these hours that the Pumas in are looking to keep children busy and out of trouble with their outreach programs.
Growth in the Adolescent Population of Florida
Florida’s population of 10 to 17-year-olds increased by 26% during the 1990s. This increase was followed during the first half of this decade by an additional 9% increase. As of December 2005, Florida’s population of 10 to 17 year-olds was approximately 1.8 million.
Overall Juvenile Delinquency Rates in Florida
Florida’s juvenile crime rate is down from 91 delinquency referrals per 1,000 juveniles during 2000-01 to 82 delinquency referrals per 1,000 juveniles during 2004-05.
Referrals and Youth Received
During 2004-05, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice handled 150,687 delinquency referrals and 95,263 individual youth. The number of Florida youth referred for delinquency peaked during 1997-98 at 108,382.
Most Frequent Time of Day for Juvenile Delinquency
Research suggests that juvenile crime, including violent offenses, peaks between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., generally right after school lets out.
Most Frequent Juvenile Offenses
· Misdemeanor Assault or Battery (15,623 referrals in FY 2004-05) has replaced misdemeanor theft as the most common reason for referral. For girls misdemeanor theft is the most common misdemeanor referral (7,491)
· Burglary is the felony offense committed most often by juveniles. There were 9,340 burglary referrals involving juvenile offenders during 2004-05, an average of 26 per day. This is true for boys, but the most common referral offense for girls (felony) is aggravated assault/battery (2,658 last year).
Serious and Violent Juvenile Delinquency Trends
Serious juvenile offenses in Florida have continued to decline. During 2004-05, the Department received 46,417 felony referrals involving juveniles, down 36%from 63,279 juvenile felony referrals received during 1994-95.
· Murder/Manslaughter referrals involving juveniles declined by 42%, from 158 during 1994-95 to 92 during 2004-05.
· Attempted Murder/Attempted Manslaughter referrals involving juveniles declined by 81%, from 235 during 1994-95 to 45 during 2004-05.
· Auto Theft referrals involving juveniles declined by 55%, from 6,843 during 1994-95 to 3,077 in 2004-05.
· Burglary referrals involving juveniles declined by 37%, from 20,270 during 1994-95 to 12,727 during 2004-05.
· Aggravated Assault and Battery involving juveniles increased by 13%, from 9,075 during 1994-95 to 10,298 during 2004-05.
· Armed Robbery referrals involving juveniles declined by 56%, from 1,651 during 1994-95 to 728 during 2004-05.
· Felony Sex Offense referrals involving juveniles increased by 30%, from 1,493 during 1994-95 to 1,947 during 2004-05.
Juvenile Drug Referrals
· Felony Drug (non-marijuana) referrals involving juveniles declined by 4%, from 4,171 during 1994-95 to 4,006 during 2004-05.
· Felony Marijuana referrals involving juveniles increased by 22%, from 1,135 during 1994-95 to 1,383 during 2004-05.
· Misdemeanor Drug (non-marijuana) referrals involving juveniles declined by 42%, from 1,854 during 1994-95 to 1,068 during 2004-05.
· Misdemeanor Marijuana referrals involving juveniles increased by 102%, from 4,110 during 1994-95 to 8,307 during 2004-05.
Female Juvenile Offenders
Almost one out of three juveniles referred to the Department of juvenile justice is a girl. The number of girls referred for delinquency in 2004-05 was 28,660, almost unchanged since 2000-01, which followed a 67% increase in the number of girls referred for delinquency during the 1990’s in Florida. Delinquency referrals of boys rose 25% during the 1990’s but have declined by more than 6% since 2000-01.
Juveniles Transferred to Adult Court
The number of juveniles in Florida transferred to adult court peaked during 1995-96 at 5,350. Between 2000-01 and 2004-05, the number of juveniles tried as adults declined by an additional 23%, from 3,251 to 2,504.
Delinquency in Florida Schools
Recent changes to the Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS) have allowed the Department to accurately and reliably track referrals received for school-related offenses. During 2004-05, 26,990 or 18% of the total referrals received by the Department were for school-related offenses. Misdemeanors accounted for 76% and felonies accounted for 20% of school-related offenses.
· Misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct was the most common school-related referral during 2004-05 (10,034 or 26% of total).
· Weapon or Firearm Offenses accounted for 2,251 or 8% of all school-related referrals during 2004-05.
