Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

04/27/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/27/2021 14:33

Update from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Regarding COVID-19

[Link]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 27, 2021

CONTACT:

DJJ Communications Office

[email protected]
(850) 921-5900

Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) continues to take all necessary precautions related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Florida. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in Florida, DJJ has coordinated a proactive and comprehensive response to keep all youth and staff safe within state-operated juvenile detention centers and residential commitment programs.

DJJ is committed to keeping its stakeholders, community partners and the general public informed on the number of positive COVID-19 cases in its state-operated juvenile detention centers and juvenile residential commitment programs. DJJ serves approximately 1,700 youth in 72 of these facilities statewide. These case numbers will be updated regularly on our website and this update will continue to be sent out every other Tuesday.

COVID-19 Total Confirmed Cases in DJJ Facilities (Since 3/27/2020)

Updated:4/27/2021, 3:00 p.m.

Employees/Contract Staff

Youth

DJJ Facilities

Total Positive Cases

Medically cleared to return to work

Total Positive Cases

No longer in medical isolation

Broward Regional Juvenile Detention Center

36

34

7

7

Palm Beach Regional Juvenile Detention Center

15

13

2

2

Miami-Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center

41

40

15

15

Collier Regional Juvenile Detention Center

5

5

4

4

Manatee Regional Juvenile Detention Center

13

8

4

4

Orange Regional Juvenile Detention Center

21

15

9

7

Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center

18

17

8

8

Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center

22

21

9

9

St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center

21

19

7

7

Leon Regional Juvenile Detention Center

16

16

1

1

Brevard Regional Juvenile Detention Center

8

8

1

1

SWFL Regional Juvenile Detention Center

11

9

6

6

Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center

14

11

16

16

Escambia Regional Juvenile Detention Center

27

26

1

1

Okaloosa Regional Juvenile Detention Center

7

7

0

0

Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center

18

18

1

1

Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center

23

22

2

2

Marion Regional Juvenile Detention Center

19

19

3

3

Pasco Regional Juvenile Detention Center

8

6

0

0

Hillsborough Regional Juvenile Detention Center

7

6

0

0

Broward Youth Treatment Center

6

6

5

5

Columbus Youth Academy

11

11

1

1

Crestview Youth Academy

16

16

5

5

Miami Youth Academy

16

16

6

6

Miami Girls Academy

6

6

0

0

Dove Academy

23

23

8

8

Daytona Juvenile Residential Facility

9

9

5

5

Palm Beach Youth Academy

25

25

28

28

Palm Beach Youth Academy Substance Abuse (SA)

0

0

15

15

Okeechobee Youth Development Center

5

5

16

16

Okeechobee Youth Treatment Center

4

4

0

0

Okeechobee Girls Academy

5

5

1

1

Okeechobee Sex Offender Facility

2

2

2

2

Okeechobee JOCC Max Risk

3

3

17

17

Okeechobee Intensive Halfway House

2

2

0

0

Oak Grove Academy

15

15

9

9

Walton Academy for Growth and Change

22

21

33

33

Escambia Boys Base

13

13

8

8

Kissimmee Youth Academy

18

17

5

5

Lake Academy

8

7

22

22

Redwood Youth Academy

3

3

16

16

Okaloosa Youth Academy

29

28

24

24

Hillsborough Girls Academy

8

7

4

4

Duval Academy

6

6

3

3

Pompano Youth Treatment Center

14

14

16

16

Cypress Creek Treatment Center

9

9

7

7

Cypress Creek JOCC Max Risk

11

11

17

17

Marion Youth Academy

8

8

4

4

Orange Youth Academy

14

14

1

1

Hope Forest Academy

6

5

5

5

Joann Bridges Academy

10

10

1

1

Juvenile Unit for Specialized Treatment Program

8

8

8

8

Hastings Comprehensive MH Treatment Program

19

19

5

5

St. Johns Youth Academy

4

4

26

26

Center for Success and Independence-Ocala

2

2

20

20

Center for Success and Independence SA

24

24

20

20

Brooksville Academy

13

13

7

7

Les Peters Academy

10

10

0

0

Melbourne Center for Personal Growth

6

6

0

0

Tampa Residential Facility

11

11

12

12

Central Pasco Girls Academy

8

8

13

13

Bartow Youth Academy

1

1

2

2

Youth Environmental Services

3

2

0

0

Alachua Academy

7

7

0

0

Brevard Group Treatment Home

5

4

0

0

Gulf Academy

3

3

11

11

Polk Halfway House

4

4

0

0

Jacksonville Youth Academy

7

7

0

0

Twin Oaks Academy

0

0

5

5

Everglades Youth Academy

3

3

0

0

Totals

815

777

509

507

Correction: the above table has been corrected to reflect 7 positive staff cases at Jacksonville Youth Academy, it was previously listed as 8.

Additional Information Regarding Facilities with Positive COVID-19 Cases

DJJ continues to work with local health departments and in the case of residential commitment programs, the private contracted providers, regarding the need to test additional youth and staff following the first report of a positive test. The local health department is made aware of each instance of a positive test result. Impacted DJJ facilities are coordinating efforts with local health department officials on issues related to isolation and care for youth who have tested positive and contact tracing to attempt to determine the source of the infection and who else might have been exposed. All employees as well as parents/guardians of youth are notified of positive cases. Increased cleaning and sanitization protocols will also continue at these facilities. Additional questions on the above individuals (age, gender, travel status) should be directed to the Florida Department of Health.

Information on testing

The county health departments and/or each facility's designated health authority determine when youth should be tested for COVID-19 based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing criteria. Youth inside juvenile detention centers and residential commitment programs are continuously being monitored and screened for symptoms and if a youth shows symptoms, he or she is isolated from other youth and the facility's designated health authority is contacted. Youth must show no symptoms and be cleared by the facility's designated health authority before they are removed from isolation.

Information on personnel inside DJJ facilities

In order to protect the personal health information of these individuals, the name or occupation of the employees at these facilities will not be identified. Staff listed above may be employed by the state or one of its contracted providers. All staff that work inside DJJ facilities are screened daily on every shift prior to entering the facility and if a staffer presents with symptoms, he or she is denied entry and is instructed to contact their health care provider. Staff will not be permitted to return to work until cleared by a medical professional. Outside vendors and personnel continue to be screened daily prior to entry.

DJJ COVID-19 Response

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has coordinated a proactive and comprehensive response to keep all youth and staff safe. In response to this pandemic, DJJ took the following actions:

  • Developed a COVID-19 guidance for all facilities serving DJJ youth, including CDC criteria on how to assess and care for youth exhibiting flu-like symptoms and environmental cleaning and disinfection recommendations.
  • Modified screening protocols and procedures for youth taken into custody by law enforcement who are brought to juvenile assessment centers and detention screening units to include precautionary coronavirus screening questions and protocols.
  • Instituted additional screening measures for outside vendors and personnel who work within juvenile facilities.
  • Issued an emergency order suspending visitation at all state-operated juvenile detention centers and juvenile residential commitment programs. DJJ has resumed family visitation with modified procedures to facilities with no active COVID-19 cases. Programs with COVID-19 cases remain under visitation restriction. Both detention centers and residential commitment programs have worked diligently to maintain regular telephone communication, and if feasible video conferencing, between youth and their families throughout the pandemic.
  • Developed and disseminated pandemic plans for all state-operated juvenile detention centers. Residential commitment providers have developed individual plans for juvenile residential commitment programs. All plans are in keeping with CDC guidelines.

Ongoing measures include the following:

  • All youth admitted into a residential commitment program are screened prior to leaving the detention center and then again upon their arrival to the residential commitment program.
  • If a staff presents with symptoms, he or she is denied entry and instructed to contact their health care provider. Staff will not be permitted to return to work until cleared by a medical professional. Outside vendors and personnel continue to be screened daily prior to entry.
  • State-operated juvenile detention centers and residential commitment programs have all implemented cleaning and sanitation plansto reduce the risk of spreading or contaminating surfaces.

For more information on the Department of Juvenile Justice's response to COVID-19, please visit www.djj.state.fl.us/covid-19.

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