Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Council December 14, 2006 — Report from the Chair

With this meeting the Council completes another year of service to the community. It is important that we reflect on what the work this body has done to provide “advise and direction to the Department of Juvenile Justice in the areas of prevention and delinquency.

Housekeeping

Officers elected

December 29, 2005 The Council held a special meeting to elect new officers to finish the terms of the Chair Jackie Griffin –Doherty (Operation PAR), Vice Chair Tammy Hillier-Flowers (BGCS), Secretary Stephanie Prestwood (DCF) and Parliamentarian Tony Hinson (JWB). They resigned, without notice, at the end of the Council’s regular meeting of December 8, 2006. The new officers were Dave Plyer-Chairman, Peter Likins - Vice-Chair, Kathleen Mannion-Secretary, Frank Valdez-Parliamentarian.

April 27, 2006 Matt Sullivan was elected Vice Chair, Carol Schiffler Secretary and Cathy Corry Membership Registrar. Schiffler failed to attend another Council meeting and Member Cathy Corry took on the meeting-by-meeting roll recording the minutes.

September 28, 2006 officers were elected to full terms: Chair Dave Plyer, Vice Chair Matt Sullivan, Secretary Debby Bolen and Membership Registrar Cathy Corry. Bolen failed to attend the meeting of her election and all subsequent meetings.

December 2, 2006 the Chair relieved the Secretary: no longer a Council member for lack of attendance. Copy of the email submitted for the record.

October 21, 2006 Circuit 6 Juvenile Justice Board Members appointed

  • Susan Biszewski-Eber (Juvenile justice provider)
  • Dwight Chimurenga Waller (Community advocate)
  • Jim Coats (Law enforcement)
  • Greg Pound (Parent Advocate),
  • Norm Roche (Business community)
  • Bruce Wright (Faith community)

Bylaws amended

  • Replaced Parliamentarian with Membership Registrar
  • Removed inconsistency regarding member representative;
  • Simplified membership, attendance and voting requirements
  • Clarified the duties of the Secretary
  • Changed records retention specifics from the Department to the Council
  • Reduced the quorum from 10 members to 4 members.

Action

In March council representatives traveled to Tallahassee to the present the Council’s views that boot camps should be closed, that children not be mechanically restrained in juvenile court, that an office of suicide prevention be established and that restrictions be placed on the release of arrest records of juveniles.

In January, April, May and October the Council made presentations at the Pinellas County School Board meetings in favor of a moratorium on school related arrests for the “childhood misbehavior” charges of disorderly conduct and disruption of school environment. The Council receives quarterly reports of school-related charges from the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center. This information serves as the basis of the “report card” of the school board’s performance in the area of reducing school related arrests that the Council has begun to present at school board meetings.

Going forward the Council will continue to pursue these elements of its Three Year Strategic Plan:

  1. Teen Age Use of Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs

  2.  Family Support

  3.  Gender-Specific Services

  4. Youth Violence (Home, School and Community)

  5.  Need for relevant activities in which young people can participate.

  6. Need for appropriate suicide prevention programs for Pinellas County youth.

  7. Need to address Minority Overrepresentation among Pinellas County youth

  8. Implications surrounding Zero Tolerance

The next meeting of the Council is 7:00 pm Thursday January 25, 2007 a the Seminole Community Library (727) 394-6905.

This report is submitted for the record by Dave Plyer, Chair, Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Council.


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