As we enter into the state budget process cycle, Gov. Bush has presented his budget for 2003-2004, which includes funding for improvements to the Integrated Criminal History System as well as the State Automated Fingerprint Identification System. These are two very important issues for the future.

On Wednesday, Jan. 22, Secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice Bill Bankhead conducted a conference call to discuss budget cuts to his department.

These cuts amount to approximately a 10 percent cut in the operating budget. His proposals to meet some of these cuts include the elimination of misdemeanor supervision or probation, shifting this responsibility to the individual counties, as well as the elimination of "expensive psychological evaluations for misdemeanants." Home detention will not be funded with the exception of those adjudicated and waiting for placement.

As you are aware, the FPCA has listed the following as one of its supported legislative issues:

STATE SUPPORT FOR PROPER MAINTENANCE OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM: FPCA seeks continued state support for the juvenile justice system, including assessment centers. Comprehensive support for intake, treatment, confinement and probation functions are essential to provide an effective response to juvenile crime.

This is a broad statement. Many of the districts want to be more focused on the front-end care, which we know is essential to preventing delinquency, and others are concerned with detention, which is important to protecting the citizenry.

It is important that we be heard as one voice in Tallahassee. Please provide me with your thoughts so we may stand together with the Florida Sheriffs Association to speak loudly on this issue.

Thank You.