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Pinellas County
Juvenile Justice Council Lack of DJJ support I have sent repeated emails throughout January and February to all levels of DJJ including Secretary Walt McNeil where I have requested the same level of service provided to other Councils and Boards, including to mail the customary post card announcements of this meeting to all Council members. There was no reply and no post cards. We got our meeting notice posted on the DJJ website, but only after repeated emails up the ranks at DJJ. In addition, I asked DJJ to produced copies of the Council’s new brochure and have not received a response. Report card on moratorium on school-related arrests On February 22, 2007, I sent an email to school superintendent Wilcox and members of the Pinellas County School Board. It summarized signs of improvement in their efforts to reduce school-related arrests, particularly for the behavioral charges of disorderly conduct and disruption of school environment. A copy of the letter was sent to all Council members and is submitted for the record. Situation with the Circuit 6 Juvenile Justice Board At the January 22, 2007 meeting of the Board, the Council was told by Calvin Harris, assuming the role of Board Chair, that the Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Council “is not recognized as the council and…we are in the process of forming a juvenile justice council.” On February 2, 2007, I spoke with Stephen Hogge (850.487.0608), Committee on Juvenile Justice, in Tallahassee. He suggested I contact the representative for our district (Ed Hooper) or the Attorney General. Later that day, I spoke with Gerry Hammond, 850.245.0158, in the Attorney General’s office in Tallahassee. She gave me guidelines on how to request an opinion from the Attorney General. I have considered three ways to stop this continued discrimination and harassment of the Council by members of the Circuit 6 Juvenile Justice Board: 1) a letter to the three statutory members for the Board (State Attorney, Chief Judge and Public Defender) requesting their joint legal opinion; 2) a letter to the Attorney General asking for an opinion; and 3) a meeting with Representative Ed Hooper. The request for an opinion from the Attorney General requires the authorization from the Council members. This is a current meeting agenda item under New Business. The letter to the statutory Board members is being drafted. Cathy Corry has arranged a meeting with Ed Hooper on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at 1:00 pm. Next Council meeting is 7:00 pm Thursday April 26, 2007 a the Seminole Community Library (727) 394-6905. There is no meeting in March. This report is submitted for the record by Dave Plyer, Chair, Pinellas County Juvenile Justice Council. |
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