Studer Community Institute

Escambia won't appeal juvenile detention cost ruling

May 27, 2015
/ Shannon Nickinson
/ government

Volusia County has appealed a ruling last month by an administrative law judge about how to pay for juvenile detention costs. Escambia County officials will not appeal the ruling of Administrative Law Judge W. David Watkins. Twenty-seven counties, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were part of the case. Counties and the state Department of Juvenile Justice have repeatedly battled about how to split the tab under a 2004 law that requires counties to pay "pre-disposition" costs associated with juvenile offenders waiting for cases to be resolved in court. The legal issues have focused on different interpretations of the law and arguments that counties have been overcharged. Escambia County spent $1,024,462.05 for DJJ costs this fiscal year. For fiscal year 2014-2015, officials have budgeted $2,365,120 for DJJ expenses, according to Escambia County Spokeswoman Kathleen Dough-Castro. Last fiscal year, Santa Rosa County spent $300,000. County public information officer Joy Tsubooka said this fiscal year there is $885,075 budgeted, a 195 percent increase. Tsubooka said the cost in 2011/2012 was $67,953, but then $479, 072 the next year. Watkins found that some parts of a rule proposed by the Department of Juvenile Justice to carry out the law were improper. But he also found in favor of the department on the issue of who should pay detention costs when juvenile offenders commit probation violations. In filing the notice last week at the 1st District Court of Appeal, Volusia County did not detail the arguments it will make in appealing Watkins' decision. Lawmakers this year tried to come up with a legislative solution. A House bill (HB 5201) would have required counties to pay 57 percent of juvenile-detention costs, while the state would pick up 43 percent — not a 50-50 split sought by the counties. The counties have long argued that their costs for juvenile detention amounted to an unfunded mandate. News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

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Escambia won't appeal juvenile detention cost ruling

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