Fla. Stat. § 985.48 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 985 / Part VII / Section 985.48
985.48 Juvenile sexual offender commitment programs; sexual abuse intervention networks.
Status: in_force

(1) In order to provide intensive treatment and psychological services to a juvenile sexual offender committed to the department, it is the intent of the Legislature to establish programs and strategies to effectively respond to juvenile sexual offenders. In designing programs for juvenile sexual offenders, it is the further intent of the Legislature to implement strategies that include: (a) Developing adequate commitment programs and facilities to ensure appropriate and effective treatment and ensure that decisions to release juvenile sexual offenders into the community are not made on the basis of inadequate space. (b) Providing an adequate number of well-trained staff to address the treatment needs of juvenile sexual offenders. (c) Providing intensive supervision of juvenile sexual offenders who are released into the community with terms and conditions which may include electronic monitoring of a juvenile sexual offender for the purpose of enhancing public safety. (d) Providing notification to the school to which the juvenile sexual offender is returning, the parents or legal guardians of the victim, and law enforcement, when a juvenile sexual offender returns into the community.

(2) Contingent upon a specific appropriation, the department shall implement and operate programs to provide intensive educational and psychological services and other treatment for juvenile sexual offenders.

(3) Subject to specific appropriation, a child may be placed in a juvenile sexual offender program when committed to the department.

(4) The program shall include educational components, life management training, substance abuse treatment, and intensive psychological treatment provided by appropriate mental health professionals. Juvenile sexual offenders shall be required to participate in all programs and treatment.

(5) Based on assessed need for conditional release, the department shall provide an intensive conditional release component for monitoring and assisting the transition of a juvenile sexual offender into the community with terms and conditions that may include electronic monitoring of the juvenile sexual offender.

(6) The department shall establish protocol and procedures to notify schools, the appropriate law enforcement agencies, and the court when a juvenile sexual offender returns to the community.

(7) The department may contract with private organizations for the operation of a juvenile sexual offender program and conditional release.

(8) The department shall conduct inspections of and quality assurance activities for each juvenile sexual offender program operated by or under contract with the department, based on standards specifically developed for these types of programs, to determine whether the program complies with department rules for continued operation of the program.

(9) The department shall maintain records and other information necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of each juvenile sexual offender program and other outcome evaluation requirements.

(10) A Child Protection Team or the state attorney in any judicial circuit may establish a sexual abuse intervention network to assist in identifying, investigating, prosecuting, treating, and preventing sexual abuse with special emphasis on juvenile sexual offenders and victims of sexual abuse.

(11) Membership of a sexual abuse intervention network shall include, but is not limited to, representatives from: (a) Local law enforcement agencies; (b) Local school boards; (c) Child protective investigators; (d) The office of the state attorney; (e) The office of the public defender; (f) The juvenile division of the circuit court; (g) Professionals licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, s. 490.0145, or s. 491.0144 providing treatment for juvenile sexual offenders or their victims; (h) The Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office; (i) The Department of Juvenile Justice; and (j) The Department of Children and Families.

(12) Each sexual abuse intervention network shall develop a cooperative working agreement describing the roles and responsibilities of all members towards the identification, investigation, prosecution, treatment, and reintegration of juvenile sexual offenders and the treatment of their victims.

(13) Subject to specific appropriation, availability of funds, or receipt of appropriate grant funds, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Children and Families, or the Department of Juvenile Justice shall award grants to sexual abuse intervention networks that apply for such grants. The grants may be used for training, treatment, conditional release, evaluation, public awareness, and other specified community needs that are identified by the network. A grant shall be awarded based on the applicant’s level of local funding, level of collaboration, number of juvenile sexual offenders to be served, number of victims to be served, and level of unmet needs.

History: s. 6, ch. 95-266; s. 48, ch. 95-267; s. 52, ch. 97-238; s. 9, ch. 98-158; s. 16, ch. 99-284; s. 36, ch. 2000-135; s. 58, ch. 2006-120; s. 14, ch. 2011-70; s. 5, ch. 2013-118; s. 353, ch. 2014-19; s. 113, ch. 2019-3; s. 49, ch. 2024-70; s. 19, ch. 2024-130.