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A study by Florida Taxwatch and the Southern Poverty Law Center shows Florida could save between fifty and one hundred fifty million dollars a year if it intervened in the lives of troubled juveniles earlier, and began dealing with minor infractions through a civil citation program rather than locking up non violent offenders. Vanessa Carroll of the law center says the 240 million the state spends on locking up kids is just too much.

“The fact is that Florida places far too many children in expensive residential facilities. These facilities are the most costly and least effective way to address the needs of children at risk. Pulling a child out of her home, her family, community, and school, is an incredibly disruptive intervention that often does more harm than good”, says Carroll.

Florida will spend seventy million dollars this year locking up misdemeanor and probation violators. Once locked up, children are staying 30% longer than ten years ago and become more likely to re-offend.