Welcome to the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Services Department Website

JSD allows representatives from law enforcement and social services to work together under one roof to provide a complete range of services for both at-risk youth and youth involved with the Juvenile Justice System. Formerly known as the Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC), the facility has served as a centralized processing, referral, and evaluation center for over 130,000 juvenile arrests in Miami-Dade County, and operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In May 2008, the White House hosted a national summit to introduce Miami-Dade County as a national model for juvenile justice. In the President's 2004 Drug Strategy Report the JAC was recognized as an "exemplary program" for leading the charge in developing ways to "Intervene Early." 

The JSD is receiving international attention for the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Justice Model.  Director Wansley Walters has been requested to present Miami-Dade's achievements at international conferences in Belgium, Ireland, and Spain.  As a result, several European Nations are pursuing replication of the nationally recognized local model. Find out more.

The new Miami-Dade County Prevention Initiative offers early intervention services available for youth 17 years of age and under who may be experiencing behavior and family difficulties and could be at risk of being arrested.

Referrals can be made by parents, schools, community members, concerned adults, and through other JSD diversion programs.

Learn more about Prevention.

On May 16, 2008, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) joined the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in hosting a national summit to introduce Miami-Dade County as a national model for juvenile justice.

The one-day summit united over 200 juvenile justice experts from across the Country, highlighting the results and progress of the National Demonstration Project (NDP), a national model for urban areas to reform an active functioning system and reduce arrests, re-arrests, and detention rates.

Additional Juvenile Justice Summit information and downloads, including the Miami-Dade County Juvenile Justice Model Guide Book and JSD Process Map, are available.

The senseless violence affecting our youth has caused outrage and concern in our communities.  In response, young people are creating messages for everyone to hear, and they need all of our support.  The Juvenile Services Department and the Miami-Dade Violence Intervention Project (VIP)   have collaborated in this well-designed public education campaign that will appeal to youth to spread the non-violence message and make a positive impact on public opinion.
The foundation of this project is to increase awareness of the issue and existing services, encourage activism on the part of our youth, and enhance access to programs that offer alternatives to violence.

Check out the VIP Calendar of Events to see what's happening in your neighborhood and help promote the creative vision of our youth as they try to pave the way for peace.