The Florida Senate

985.245  Risk assessment instrument.--

(1)  All determinations and court orders regarding placement of a child into detention care shall comply with all requirements and criteria provided in this part and shall be based on a risk assessment of the child, unless the child is placed into detention care as provided in s. 985.255(2).

(2)(a)  The risk assessment instrument for detention care placement determinations and orders shall be developed by the department in agreement with representatives appointed by the following associations: the Conference of Circuit Judges of Florida, the Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the Public Defenders Association, the Florida Sheriffs Association, and the Florida Association of Chiefs of Police. Each association shall appoint two individuals, one representing an urban area and one representing a rural area. The parties involved shall evaluate and revise the risk assessment instrument as is considered necessary using the method for revision as agreed by the parties.

(b)  The risk assessment instrument shall take into consideration, but need not be limited to, prior history of failure to appear, prior offenses, offenses committed pending adjudication, any unlawful possession of a firearm, theft of a motor vehicle or possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and probation status at the time the child is taken into custody. The risk assessment instrument shall also take into consideration appropriate aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and shall be designed to target a narrower population of children than s. 985.255 The risk assessment instrument shall also include any information concerning the child's history of abuse and neglect. The risk assessment shall indicate whether detention care is warranted, and, if detention care is warranted, whether the child should be placed into secure, nonsecure, or home detention care.

(3)  If, at the detention hearing, the court finds a material error in the scoring of the risk assessment instrument, the court may amend the score to reflect factual accuracy.

(4)  For a child who is under the supervision of the department through probation, home detention, nonsecure detention, conditional release, postcommitment probation, or commitment and who is charged with committing a new offense, the risk assessment instrument may be completed and scored based on the underlying charge for which the child was placed under the supervision of the department and the new offense.

History.--s. 5, ch. 90-208; s. 7, ch. 92-287; s. 21, ch. 93-230; s. 3, ch. 93-408; s. 29, ch. 94-209; s. 9, ch. 95-267; s. 21, ch. 97-238; s. 79, ch. 98-280; s. 8, ch. 2000-134; s. 18, ch. 2001-125; s. 16, ch. 2002-55; s. 32, ch. 2006-120.

Note.--Former s. 39.042(2); s. 985.213(2).