The Legislature has directed that Department of Juvenile Justice programs provide gender-specific services to delinquent youth. This report identifies gender-specific practices for residential commitment programs in seven key areas.
Residential programs for delinquent girls currently vary in the extent to which they meet these criteria. While no single program meets all gender-specific practices, many substantially meet the criteria in several key areas. Programs with the strongest gender-specific services appear to be most successful in reducing recidivism.
Overall, most residential programs meet gender-specific practices for mental health, physical safety, and health and hygiene. However, most programs are weak in the areas of relationships and emotional safety, social and educational programming, staff hiring and training, and program design and evaluation.
The department has implemented gender-specific contracts for girls' residential programs and now needs to provide training and revise its contract monitoring and quality assurance procedures to ensure that these requirements are being met.

Steps Taken to Improve Juvenile Justice Direct-Care Staff Screening and Training
Report 10-42 May 2010
Health and Hygiene Costs Higher for Girls' Juvenile Justice Residential Programs
Report 06-41 April 2006
Redirection as Effective as Residential Delinquency Programs, Achieved Substantial Cost Avoidance
Report 06-34 March 2006
Effective Community Programs Could Reduce Commitments of Girls to Residential Programs
Report 06-13 February 2006

Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.