Fla. Stat. § 985.441 — Florida Code / Title XLVII / Chapter 985 / Part VII / Section 985.441
985.441 Commitment.
Status: in_force

(1) The court that has jurisdiction of an adjudicated delinquent child may, by an order stating the facts upon which a determination of a sanction and rehabilitative program was made at the disposition hearing: (a) Commit the child to a licensed child-caring agency willing to receive the child; however, the court may not commit the child to a jail or to a facility used primarily as a detention center or facility or shelter. (b) Commit the child to the department at a restrictiveness level defined in s. 985.03. Such commitment must be for the purpose of exercising active control over the child, including, but not limited to, custody, care, training, monitoring for substance abuse, electronic monitoring, and treatment of the child and release of the child from residential commitment into the community in a postcommitment nonresidential conditional release program. If the child is not successful in the conditional release program, the department may use the transfer procedure under subsection (4). (c) Commit the child to the department for placement in a program or facility for juvenile sexual offenders in accordance with s. 985.48, subject to specific appropriation for such a program or facility. 1. The child may only be committed for such placement pursuant to determination that the child is a juvenile sexual offender under the criteria specified in s. 985.475. 2. Any commitment of a juvenile sexual offender to a program or facility for juvenile sexual offenders must be for an indeterminate period of time, but the time may not exceed the maximum term of imprisonment that an adult may serve for the same offense.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the court having jurisdiction over an adjudicated delinquent child whose offense is a misdemeanor, other than a violation of s. 790.22(3), or a child who is currently on probation for a misdemeanor, other than a violation of s. 790.22(3), may not commit the child for any misdemeanor offense or any probation violation that is technical in nature and not a new violation of law. However, the court may commit such child to a moderate-risk residential placement if: (a) The child has previously been adjudicated or had adjudication withheld for a felony offense; (b) The child has previously been adjudicated or had adjudication withheld for three or more misdemeanor offenses within the previous 18 months; (c) The child is before the court for disposition for a violation of s. 800.03, s. 806.031, or s. 828.12; or (d) The court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the protection of the public requires such placement or that the particular needs of the child would be best served by such placement. Such finding must be in writing.

(3) The nonconsent of the child to commitment or treatment in a substance abuse treatment program in no way precludes the court from ordering such commitment or treatment.

(4) The department may transfer a child, when necessary to appropriately administer the child’s commitment, from one facility or program to another facility or program operated, contracted, subcontracted, or designated by the department, including a postcommitment nonresidential conditional release program, except that the department may not transfer any child adjudicated solely for a misdemeanor to a residential program except as provided in subsection (2). The department shall notify the court that committed the child to the department and any attorney of record for the child, in writing, of its intent to transfer the child from a commitment facility or program to another facility or program of a higher or lower restrictiveness level. If the child is under the jurisdiction of a dependency court, the department shall also provide notice to the dependency court, the Department of Children and Families, the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office, and the child’s attorney ad litem, if one is appointed. The court that committed the child may agree to the transfer or may set a hearing to review the transfer. If the court does not respond within 10 days after receipt of the notice, the transfer of the child shall be deemed granted.

History: s. 49, ch. 2006-120; s. 1, ch. 2011-54; s. 92, ch. 2012-5; s. 4, ch. 2012-56; s. 25, ch. 2014-162; s. 3, ch. 2019-10; s. 46, ch. 2024-70; s. 16, ch. 2024-130; s. 16, ch. 2024-133.