In an ad that ran Monday morning, viewers can hear Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith say no one has arrested more people for marijuana than he has.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. More than 300 youths in juvenile-justice facilities have tested positive for COVID-19, as the number of cases in the state system continues to steadily increase. As of Thursday afternoon, 306 youths had tested positive, up from 290 on Tuesday, according to information from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. In Duval County, the Duval Regional Center has reported 15 total youth COVID-19 cases. The largest numbers of youth cases have occurred at St. Johns Youth Academy, which has had 26, and Okaloosa Youth Academy, which has had 23. Overall, 101 of the 235 workers who had tested positive have been medically cleared to return to their jobs.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. There were 216 reported cases of COVID-19 in young people at juvenile detention centers in Florida, according to statistics released Thursday by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Department of Juvenile Justice serves approximately 1,700 young people in 72 of these facilities statewide, according to its own data. The data showed another five young people have tested positive at Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Jacksonville. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice released a statement that theyre taking precautions. It reads:The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has a coordinated plan in place to protect youth and staff from COVID-19.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of youths in the state juvenile justice system who have tested positive for COVID-19 has increased to 119, up from 97 on Thursday, according to figures released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. The number of infected workers in the system also increased to 120, up from 106 on Thursday. A large part of the jump in youth cases occurred at Redwood Youth Academy, which had 15 cases Tuesday, up from three last week. Redwood Youth Academy is in Raiford and has a capacity of 24 male juveniles, according to a state website. Palm Beach Youth Academy has had the most juvenile cases, with 21, a number that was unchanged Tuesday from last week.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state juvenile justice system has continued to gradually increase, with 100 workers and 93 youths testing positive as of Tuesday, according to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Those numbers were up from 89 workers and 85 youths in a Friday count. Palm Beach Youth Academy has had the most cases, with 21 youths and 11 workers testing positive. The Department of Juvenile Justice said Tuesday that 17 of the facilitys youths were no longer in medical isolation, and 10 of the workers had been medically cleared to return to their jobs. The Department of Juvenile Justice has taken a series of steps to try to prevent the spread of the virus in juvenile facilities, including suspending visitation.

She claims Daniels' boyfriend, Rev. The state claims an anti-violence program Daniels advocated for called Peace Hub didn't follow through on its promise and the program, according to the suit, is run by Johnson. The state claims it paid Johnson's company, SCLC Worldwide, nearly $1 million to run a youth program targeting gun violence in Duval, Broward and Miami Dade counties. The suit claims SCLC Worldwide didn't have the state-required insurance to complete the program, so the state requested its money back. The program Daniels was advocating for was aimed at helping at-risk youth, ages 8 to 17 in high crime and high murder rate areas.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Two 13-year-olds and a 16-year-old sued the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice on Thursday, alleging their health and well-being were put in danger when the state placed them in solitary confinement. The case, filed in U.S. district court in Tallahassee as a class action, names the Department of Juvenile Justice and Secretary Simone Marstiller as defendants. The lawsuit contends the state was aware of her pregnancy and that putting her in isolation made her "more vulnerable to physical and mental harm such as a miscarriage, birth complications or aggravated pregnancy-related symptoms caused by the trauma of solitary confinement." "Without judicial intervention, these children will continue to suffer from the physical and psychological harm from solitary confinement," said the lawsuit, filed by attorneys from Florida Legal Services, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Florida Justice Institute. Another lawsuit filed this year contends the Florida Department of Corrections "widely overuses" solitary confinement and places inmates with mental illnesses in isolation for extended periods of time.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Nearly two weeks after four teenagers escaped after staging a fight at a Juvenile Justice detention center on Jacksonville's Northside, the last of the escapees was recaptured in Avon Park, south of Orlando. The three other inmates who escaped in Jacksonville, Davionne Baldwin, Tyjuan Monroe and Marcus Ledbetter were all located within 24 hours. Baldwin, 17, was arrested for escape and battery on detention facility staff. Ledbetter, 17, was charged with burglary, escape and battery on a detention facility staff. At this time, admissions to the Jacksonville Youth Academy program, have been suspended.

Investigators said Tajah Bing, 16, and three other inmates escaped from the Jacksonville Youth Academy on Saturday night. When staff members responded, the four attacked, fighting employees of the facility in the control room. Investigators believe the four took off in a staff member's personal vehicle. The report also said a staff member's purse was emptied of its belongings. The Department of Juvenile Justice said it's investigating, and if it discovers failures of policies and procedures, it said it will take action as necessary.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The search is on for the last of four inmates who escaped from a Juvenile Justice detention center on Jacksonville's Northside. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is looking for Tajah Bing, 16, after he and three other inmates escaped from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility. The Department of Juvenile Justice has suspended admissions at the facility as it investigates the escape. At this time, admissions to the Jacksonville Youth Academy program, have been suspended. People who live near the Lannie Road juvenile lockup said improvements are needed to keep these escapes from happening again.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is searching for two of four teenagers who escaped from a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility on Lannie Road. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Authorities are searching for two of four teenage inmates who escaped Saturday night from a Juvenile Justice detention center on Jacksonville's Northside. Now admissions to the Jacksonville Youth Academy program, have been suspended by the Department of Juvenile Justice. According to a tweet from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, inmates,Tyjuan Monroe and Marcus Ledbetter, were located and taken into police custody. The Department of Juvenile Justice released the following statement:The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has commenced an immediate investigation into the escape of four youth at Jacksonville Youth Academy, a residential commitment program run by contracted provider TrueCore Behavioral Solutions.

The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently working an incident involving four escaped inmates from a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility on Lannie Road. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently working an incident involving four escaped inmates from a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility on Lannie Road. According to news release, police received notification at 11:02 PM on Saturday, July 20, 2019, from the facility that four inmates escaped. A vehicle was stolen from the facility and we believe the inmates left in it. Anyone who has any information in reference to these escaped inmates is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email them at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org.

The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently working an incident involving four escaped inmates from a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility on Lannie Road. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently working an incident involving four escaped inmates from a Florida Department of Juvenile Justice facility on Lannie Road. According to news release, police received notification at 11:02 PM on Saturday, July 20, 2019, from the facility that four inmates escaped. A vehicle was stolen from the facility and we believe the inmates left in it. Anyone who has any information in reference to these escaped inmates is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email them at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org.