[Music] welcome to episode number four of chit chat and I am honored today to have our secretary of Juvenile Justice Eric Hall here he was appointed in December of 2021 and we have forged a really really strong relationship uh we have we're safe we're like-minded in getting things done here in the juvenile justice system and today he's here with us as we opened up our brand new juvenile Assessment Center slash family reunification Center I just want to say thank you to everyone that helped make this Vision possible as I'm going to say cheap Chick-fil-A because that's how far we go back we started this in 2011 trying to get this off the ground and here we are as Sheriff Chitwood in 2022 seeing our vision become a reality and well I guess if you're patient as the good Lord says good things will happen and now we're about to open up this Resource Center Henry Senator Wright as I said he could hurt cats which is amazing you try to get all of us together in one room vjj VCF the school board police Chiefs you name it Senator Wright was able to stroll Army get us all in one room so that we could get where we are today and I know we're in SEC territory but really with the model here is an ACC-1 the A is for accountability when we arrest somebody and they're born here these kids need to be held accountable but so do we so do we in law enforcement so this deta so does every provider that's in there we have to be accountable too C is for collaboration we all have to collaborate this isn't Mike and Carla this isn't DJJ this is an SMA this is all of us in that building doing what needs to be done to help that person that came through that door and the last thing last seed is change we want to be able to provide them with change with the help of County Council we were able to purchase this building out here on 92 the old United Way building and 90 days they remodeled it uh and every service provider that is imaginable that deals with juvenile justices in this building from mental health to family and individual counseling Crisis Intervention wraparound Services truancy issues and substance abuse issues so whenever law enforcement comes in contact in the county that youth is brought to this building for screening before they move forward into the system so I'm going to get right down to what the secretary is an extremely busy man and I think it says a lot that the secretary is here uh and shows what a priority this is for the juvenile justice system so what is your philosophy and as the secretary what are you looking to to push well you know first of all Sheriff I want to say thank you for you know your vision and this Center and everything is happening you know when I came on last year I know one of the first visits I had was down here at Evolution to spend time with you and your team and and really get to understand you know what you're seeing at the local level you know what are the things that we need to be thinking about in Tallahassee so that we can best support and work hand in hand with our law enforcement leaders to you know strengthen Public Safety and I think when you look at opportunities like this where you can have so many partners come together Under One Roof you know to support the screening of our youth to be able to connect Youth and families to the services they need that's really for us that's what Public Safety is all about is how do you prevent and redirect our kids early on and get them connected to the resources that remove those barriers to their long-term success and if we can do that earlier then the more success we're going to have long term I think having a center like this again for us you know we have you know some juvenile system centers around the state and they all vary but I think when you have one like this when you have so many partners right under one roof and be able to get those families connected you know quickly when needed and balancing that with the accountability that our young people need to ensure that they understand that sometimes the choices they make while yes may have been a bad choice doesn't have to Define them for the rest of their life but at the same time immediate accountability for those actions and behaviors helps to make sure that they recognize that you know let's get back on track let's stay on track and go forward and do long-term things that are going to be productive for them and their families so again for us can you ask about My Philosophy I think my philosophy is aligned with yours when it comes to putting you know things like this together and having a vision that brings you know state and local resources you know as partners to do the work that we need to do I think that's what I said in my remarks you know I know there's a lot of SEC fans that are watching this but it's ACC for us it's accountability collaboration and change is what I think and that applies to everybody that comes through the door here you know you do have a connection to Volusia County I mean I think it would be nice if you told our folks that this isn't a strange place to you it is not so you know years ago I was actually here when we got uh the first Ami kids uh Volusia County program up and running so was here you know and I cut my teeth on Juvenile Justice you know so I I started on the front lines working with kids and spent the first 16 years of my career working at a local state and National level you in the areas of Juvenile Justice and you know being able to come back here and see how the program is still going and the resources that are here and again an example you know here with the resource center you know again I think things are positioned very well here in Volusia to continue to to grow and evolve and do things that are going to be transformative for the kids and the families here in this area uh we're excited and again uh what is your message to the kids or the families who come through these doors and some may be a little skeptical about you know what law enforcement is trying to do here yeah you know I if I was talking to a you know I look at it this way you know I've got two kids of my own so if God forbid I was in a situation where I'm having to come through the doors and and be able to have my kids you know potentially you know take advantage of resources I think the biggest thing you can say is is look you know take advantage of the opportunities that you have in front of you this is not walking through the doors of a of a juvenile prison this is walking through with resources this is walking through trying to make sure we understand what are your barriers to the success of your child or the barriers that you as the child yourself might be facing that we need to overcome and I think anytime you can position people to understand that it's about opportunities and it's not about you know judgment it's not about you know putting up areas it's about the opposite of that which is about building relationships and using those relationships to create change goes back to your ACC model yes it's accountability but you put that with a collaboration and how that comes together to create change you know that's what this is all about and I think that's what parents and our young kids they need to hear that they need to understand that law enforcement is here as a partner to help support them and their success and that success around Public Safety is about putting the supports and the resources in the right place at the right time and that's what this Center is really you know positioned to do and I think that's what our kids and our families are coming through the doors here that's what they really need to understand yeah and some people have a misnomer that this is like a secure facility this is where the cops or the deputies are taking when you know when you're going to be held here at criminal justice so it's really not the Sheriff's Office it's all the partners that we have in this building that are going to make it a success completely agree and you know I think that's where again the vision that you've had for this when you shared that with me a year ago and to be here today and to see how it's come together it is about having those Partners at the table and connecting kids and families to those resources and for kids that you know might come through the center and find themselves having to go to the detention center it's the same thing because if we can connect them to the resources while they're sitting in the Detention Center when to come back out they're going to be coming back out at some point in time for the kids that do end up in the secure Center they're going to come back out but if we can connect them to those resources it's going to deter their long-term you know potential further engagement in the system it's also about kids in that situation as well yep amen amen I'm sure you've seen a lot in your career whether in education or in your role with Juvenile Justice what is the biggest change that you've noticed in our younger generation wow um you know I think and I'm not sure it's any one particular thing but when you look at the access to information and sometimes it's the right information sometimes just the wrong information you look at social media and the impacts I think that has on our young people today um I think sometimes we find ourselves trying to work to change the narrative that you know our young people are getting exposed to and so I think it's countering some of those false beliefs about what's really you know real for a risk you know for our kids and pushing back against that you know we're seeing some kids now that you know unfortunately are younger and starting to involve in some of those anti-social behaviors that you know are going to put them on a pathway into the juvenile system or Beyond and if we can get down to those younger kids and be able to help them understand early on about the opportunities that exist when they stay in school they graduate they get into a career and be able to accomplish their goals and dreams if we can get down to that 12 13 year old that's in that critical you know right point in time yeah we can change that trajectory for them and put the right resources in place that's what I'm saying we got to make sure that we we inject early on where we can you know change that trajectory and I think that's what I'm seeing a little bit more with some of our kids today is that some of them are just they're getting too much negative information and it's really I think it's it's unfortunate because it it clouds their ability to understand what the real opportunities are you know and can be um you know commissioner Corcoran uh former Commissioner of Education one of the things he always said is you know the most dangerous person in the world is a person with no hope and we've got to get down to where our kids that are at that point of losing hope right we got to get in there quickly and be able to balance that with the mental health needs the other supports and services that exist here in this local community yeah that's excellent that is I really like that quote so I got to tell you uh from me to you Governor DeSantis chose very well when he puts you into this position uh for those of you who never met the secretary doesn't know what the Secretary of Juvenile Justice does we have somebody who was Forward Thinking and is extremely passionate as you could tell about what he does for a living and what he wants to do for the State of Florida I'm going to give you the final word on this is there anything you want to leave our viewers with well Sheriff I would just tell you again I'll kind of wrap up the way I started I want to thank you truly for your leadership and your vision around this work I know I didn't have the ability to know what it looked like 16 years ago when you started those conversations but I know what it was a year ago and to be able to fast forward that to today again less than a year to see that the doors are open kids are coming in to get services and that the community now has a resource that it didn't have you know just just a few days ago but it's here it's it's happening and so I want to thank you for your leadership your team and all the partners that are under this roof they're going to make great things happen for our kids and our families and at the Department of Juvenile Justice we're just proud of an honored to be a partner with you in this work well what do you do it alone you know County Council used arpa funds to purchase this building and remodel the building uh you know there were two Champions on County Council Barb gertman and Danny Robbins who when they knew what I wanted to do they said we're gonna work this is needed we're gonna we're gonna fund this for you uh and then if we're Senator Wright who heard it every Social Service Agency and got us and got us to the table for multiple meetings to figure how we're gonna run with this thing and then of our director Carla Kwan who is uh been with me since I've been in Daytona Beach uh and has to show her her passion for trying to divert kids out of that delinquency it's just good stuff and again to have you here has been spectacular sure thank you so I thank you for tuning in uh may God bless each and every one of you have a great Thanksgiving and we're excited about the changes we're bringing here to Volusia County with the help of the secretary we're going to be the leaders of the other 67 counties in the State of Florida so God bless you and your families and God bless the spring country [Music] foreign [Music]