A.G. Gancarski
Fulfilling a campaign promise from 2016, 4th Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson rolled out on Wednesday an initiative designed to increase the use of civil citations for juvenile offenders, via a memorandum of understanding among various local and regional agencies.
“This new agreement for pre-arrest diversion will expand and enhance the juvenile civil citation program uniformly throughout the circuit,” read a release from Nelson’s office.
Speakers and stakeholders abounded at the event, including Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, and Fourth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Mark Mahon.
The use of civil citations was something controversial in the 2016 campaign, with then-incumbent Angela Corey more agnostic on them than Nelson was.
Nelson, devoted to a restorative justice model rooted in 21st century theory rather than that of previous eras, has promised a reform agenda.
And on civil citations, she is delivering.
One comment
Elder William H. Adams, III
May 11, 2017 at 11:03 am
I’m so thankful we now have a State Attorney who is sensitive to our Youth and their future. I realize that “young people make mistakes” like we all have in our past, however, I also know the lifelong consequences of those mistakes. This is an opportunity to change and shape the lives of Troubled and At-Risk youth in our community and we must not fail them.
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