NCJ Number
98356
Date Published
1984
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This transcript of a December 1984 hearing before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse presents testimony pertaining to how Florida is spending Federal grants for juvenile offender alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health programs.
Abstract
The subcommittee chairperson describes Florida's juvenile sentencing procedure as consisting of a presentence evaluation that proposes a treatment plan which is presented to the judge. She then notes that some critics have alleged that many juvenile offenders with drug and alcohol problems have been sent to juvenile prisons with no treatment because poorly trained, overworked evaluators have failed to diagnose such problems and report them to the judge. A representative of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, a nonprofit organization of approximately 60 Florida drug abuse and alcohol prevention and treatment agencies, indicates there has been no systematic assessment of the extent of alcohol and drug abuse problems among residents of the State's juvenile training schools. He further reports there are few training school treatment programs that address alcohol and drug abuse. A significant problems is noted to be reductions in Federal block grant funds and insufficient State resources. He proposes that the Federal Government provide leadership and resources to address the problem. A representative of two parent drug abuse prevention organizations describes the work of these organizations in Florida. She also indicates that juvenile justice services are not designed to address the specific needs of the substance-abusing juvenile. She proposes Federal and State startup funding to establish such programs. The supervisor of Florida's Drug Program for the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, which funds and sets standards for drug treatment programs throughout the State, reports on Federal-State efforts in a pilot program designed to find weaknesses in Florida's juvenile evaluation processing and training. Finally, four juvenile drug abusers testify about their drug and alcohol abuse and how they have been handled by the Florida juvenile justice system.