JAAP program gets new look
Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Sept. 10 press conference that it partnered with local law enforcement agencies and judicial leaders to change the Juvenile Arrest Avoidance Program (JAAP).
The JAAP was implemented in 2010 as a way to decrease the number of bookings at Hillsborough County’s Juvenile Assessment Center. The program established criteria for issuing civil citations for juveniles instead of giving them criminal charges in certain situations, and it also gives them access to resources like counseling and treatment to help prevent repeat offenses.
“We don’t encourage bad behavior, but we understand children and teens make mistakes,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “At this highly impressionable stage of life, we want to guide them to make better decisions through a more tailored approach. In many cases, an arrest only worsens their troubles and can lead to a life of crime.”
HCSO said the changes, which officially went into effect Sept. 1, include the following:
- With the exception of five, all misdemeanor offenses are eligible for the JAAP. The five exceptions are: Assault on a Specified Official (school employee, detention officer, law enforcement officer), Battery (Domestic Violence, except incidents involving Family Violence), Driving Under the Influence, Racing and Violation of Injunction.
- Parental consent is no longer mandatory for a juvenile to qualify for the JAAP.
- When the arrest of a juvenile under 12 is being considered, the law enforcement officer must consult with a supervisor to discuss other options. Preference should be given to the JAAP.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, statistics show most first-time offenders who enter the program do not reoffend. From 2017-18, “223 community JAAP cases and 312 school JAAP cases resulted in juveniles successfully completing the program. A year later, only 9% of the community JAAP cases received a new arrest. For school JAAP cases, the recidivism rate was 10%. These positive outcomes, year after year, are what prompted the series of changes to maximize the program.”
“By ensuring this program reaches its full potential, we are changing the course of thousands of young people’s lives,” Chronister said. “One bad decision should not haunt them into adulthood and prevent them from leading productive and fulfilling lives.”
SFBH, other BayCare hospitals resume limited visitation
BayCare announced its hospitals are once again allowing limited visitation for inpatients after five months without it, citing “reductions in both COVID-19 hospitalizations and in the community’s decreasing infection rate.”
Most inpatients will now be allowed to have one visitor a day from 3 to 8 p.m. with the following guidelines in place, according to a press release:
- Only visitors 18 or older, who pass COVID-19 screening, will be allowed entry. All visitors must wear a mask during their entire visit.
- Inpatients will be allowed one visitor per day from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., except for the exceptions noted below.
- Extended hours and provisions are allowed for pediatric, neonatal intensive care, labor and delivery and mothers and newborns.
- No visitors will be allowed for Behavioral Health or COVID-19 patients.
- Patients arriving for surgeries and procedures will be allowed one visitor during pre-operation and recovery times.
- Emergency Department patients, except for those presenting with respiratory symptoms, will be allowed one visitor once they are placed in their treatment room.
- Special circumstances can be approved by hospital leadership on a case-by-case basis.
“We know how important connections to loved ones are for our patients’ recovery and we are delighted to once again safely provide access for that in-person support,” Glenn Waters, chief operating officer for BayCare, said. “We have learned a lot since March about how the virus spreads and we have significantly increased protocols to combat it. Now with lower numbers, we can safely welcome visitors on a limited basis.”