In Jacksonville, Florida, hundreds of young people who have been accused of crimes are being held in detention for far longer than the law intends. Detention is a place where children accused of crimes are meant to await formal charges — not serve months-long sentences. To make matters worse, many of these juveniles haven't even received formal charges yet!
And in Jacksonville, detentions centers are filled over capacity. Jacksonville leads the state in numbers of stays over upwards of 60 days! Over a quarter of juvenile detentions were for longer than the law allows. This is not only a waste of taxpayer money, but a violation of these children's due process rights.
Many juveniles believing that they could be charged as adults are persuaded into remaining in detention centers to avoid being charged as adults. This is wrong and the Florida Attorney General needs to do something about it. America's youth shouldn't be locked up in detention centers awaiting charges — this is no way to treat children.
Please take action today to call on the Florida Attorney General to make a change. There's a limit to juvenile detention times — follow it!
