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MATT DIXON / News Herald Writer
PANAMA CITY — The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys failed its 2009 annual evaluation.
That statement alone, or the poor results of the evaluation, would seemingly come as no surprise to those who have followed the myriad of negative publicity the Marianna facility has received recently.
The report, among other things, revealed that seven of nine boys interviewed by investigators said guards threatened students, that over the last six months student-on-student fights, including those where gangs were involved, resulted in hospitalizations, and “an alarming number of youth … felt supervision was lacking.”
Dozier, which houses high-risk males ages 13-21, maintains the backing of area residents and elected officials. They say that recent “bad press” does not tell the entire story, and that, if need be, they will employ political muscle to help stave off cutbacks to the facility.
The failed review is far from the 135-bed facility’s lone brush with controversy.
More than 300 plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages from the state of Florida because of alleged abuse they suffered in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, when Dozier was known as the Florida School for Boys. The plaintiffs have been dubbed the White House Boys, because of alleged beatings that took place in a white cinder-block building used for discipline.
Jackson County residents and elected officials say the most recent report, and the allegations of past abuse, does not paint a complete picture of the more than 100-year-old facility that employs 175 in their community. They say that any talk of shutting down the state-run facility, whose budget has been increased by nearly 20 percent over the last two years, or cutting back its services will be staunchly opposed.
“We are fighting for jobs,” said Art Kimbrough, president of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. “Corrections is a big part of our economy. It’s not what you put on the tourist brochure, but it’s stable.”
He said the corrections industry employs about 2,000 jobs in Jackson County.
Several other supporters of the facility interviewed by The News Herald said that beyond jobs, the facility’s mission of rehabilitation is one they believe in.
‘Action’ taken
Even before the failed October evaluation, officials with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, who oversee the facility, said “actions” have been taken at Dozier.
“We know we have some work to do, but changes are being planned and some have already been put into place,” said Frank Penela, DJJ’s director of communications.
According to a DJJ timeline, nine different actions have been completed since January 2009.
Actions summarized in the timeline include hiring a new nursing supervisor, filling the vacant full-time physician position, appointing a new superintendent and developing a new corrective action plan as a result of the failed report, which is an ongoing process.
The new superintendent hire, however, has been the lone action taken since the release of the failed quality assessment review, according to the timeline. On that review, Dozier received nine scores of zero, or failure, and 18 scores of 5, or minimal. The report graded more than 50 categories on a scale from zero to 10.
“Certainly we don’t want any of our facilities to get a review like that,” Penela said. “But it’s being worked on.”
The report was preceded by the resignation of school superintendent Mary Zahasky, who had received a poor quarterly performance review. Her replacement, Mike Cantrell, 42, is leaving his post as director for Detention Services for North Florida, where he oversaw facilities from Pensacola to Daytona Beach.
Local support
Despite some of Dozier’s failure, the facility has the support of local and state officials.
“I made a surprise visit there one morning, and I really saw a lot of good things happening,” said Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna.
She cited a program that allows students to help train companion dogs for the elderly, and work that was going on in the school’s classrooms.
“As a teacher, that was important for me,” she said.
Some Dozier supporters also stress the importance of second chances.
“We should not throw away the key on these boys. You don’t shut the door,” said Adora Obi Nweze, president of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP.
The group held a town hall meting in Jackson County, and helped organize a local committee that will consider issues related to Dozier. The committee is chaired by Sandy Helms, chair of the Jackson County Republican Party.
Nweze said it is important area residents have a voice in the debate.
“When it comes down to the institution, the community ought to have a say,” she said.
City and county officials also have pledged support for Dozier.
“The city of Marianna would like to see a continued long-term relationship with Dozier,” said Jim Dean, Marianna’s city manager. “Not only would you be talking jobs, but a loss of revenue for the city.
Each year, Marianna collects about $137,000 from utility services it provides to Dozier.
County Commissioner Willie Spires said that if the commission was asked to officially chime in on the matter, he has little doubt they would pledge support for Dozier.
“I would think that if there was a need from us for an endorsement to keep it open, it would not be a problem,” he said.
Closure talk
Most officials interviewed said it is unclear where the talks of closing Dozier came from, but all agree it has been a topic of discussion.
“I’m not sure where they came from, but I know they have been issues that we will probably have to address,” Dean said.
JDD says it has not, and is not planning on, considering any cutbacks to Dozier.
“There have been no talks of closing (Dozier) with this department,” said Penela. “It is not on the table.”
Kimbrough, with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, disagrees. He says the talk of closing Dozier has not been public, but “off the radar” the talks have come up.
Over the last two years, Dozier’s funding has been increased. In fiscal year 2008-2009, the state budgeted $12.5 million for Dozier, a nearly 20 percent increase from the $10.5 million budgeted in fiscal year 2006-2007, according to DJJ figures.
Kimbrough said the chamber’s government affairs committee will lobby on behalf of Dozier to ensure funding is not cut.
“We intend at every opportunity to voice opinion to legislators about our strong opinion and desire to see (Dozier) is maintained and supported in this community,” he said.
STATE OF FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
2737 CENTERVIEW DRIVE �� TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-3100 �� (850) 488-1850
CHARLIE CRIST, GOVERNOR FRANK PETERMAN, JR., SECRETARY
DATE: December 28, 2009
TO: Mary Mills, Regional Director for Residential – North Region
FROM: Jeff Wenhold, Chief of Quality Assurance
SUBJECT: Dozier Training School - Failed Status
Enclosed please find the quality assurance report for the above-referenced program. An on-site review was
conducted at this program on October 27 - 29, 2009, and the overall performance was determined to be failed status.
The report will be posted on the DJJ/QA web page at http://www.djj.state.fl.us/QA/index.html on or before January
5, 2010.
Pursuant to S.985.632(5)(f), Florida Statutes, a re-review will be scheduled within six months of the date of this
letter to review the standards that failed to meet the minimum thresholds of performance. If, after the re-review, the
program again fails to meet the minimum thresholds of performance, and if there are no documented extenuating
circumstances, the Department shall take appropriate action. This action will include but is not limited to:
contracting out for the services provided in the program; initiating appropriate disciplinary action against all
employees whose conduct or performance is deemed to have materially contributed to the program’s failure to meet
established minimum thresholds; redesigning the program; or realigning the program. In addition, the Department
is required to notify the Executive Office of the Governor and the Legislature of the corrective action taken.
As you know, the quality assurance system is based on a continuous improvement model. Therefore, the program
must be actively working to improve its performance on all key indicators with particular attention to any indicator
that was rated partial or non-performance.
We hope this information on the quality of this program is helpful to you. Should you require further information,
please call Jeff Wenhold at (850) 921-6343.
State review raises questions about Juvenile Justice Secretary’s spending
TALLAHASSEE — Florida juvenile justice chief Frank Peterman's extensive travel at taxpayer expense includes thousands of dollars in extra charges because of missed flights as well as $2,300 in airport parking costs called "excessive" in an ongoing state review.
The inspector general's investigation was ordered by Gov. Charlie Crist after a Times/Herald report in November showed that Peterman spent $44,000 on travel over 21 months, about half of it for flights between Tallahassee and Tampa. The inquiry, expected to be completed next week, also shows:
• Peterman, who maintains a second office in St. Petersburg with a secretary, approved $26,000 in renovations to the office shortly after he took over the Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2008.
• When he travels, Peterman often uses short-term airport parking lots and has charged taxpayers $2,300 for parking and $800 in luggage fees.
• Even though his family home is in St. Petersburg, he charged the state $785 for five hotel nights and a rental car at two Tampa conferences, and has paid to park cars in Tampa and Tallahassee for round-trip flights.
• On at least 18 occasions, he has changed flight times at an average cost to the state of $100 each. Shamika Baker, Peterman's executive assistant, says he overslept and missed some flights, but he says she's "misinformed."
Baker warned Peterman about flying too often and urged him to drive instead. Even after Crist last year ordered agencies to cut back on state-funded trips, his travel patterns did not change.
Peterman said Thursday: "I think that for the most part, based on my own travel, I think I've been reasonably responsible."
Questioned by the inspector general's office on Dec. 29, Peterman defended his travel as a way to visit staff members and youths in two of the seven high crime areas in the state.
"The St. Pete office was used to create a decentralized place to meet with staff, parents, and kids from the rest of the state," Peterman's interview summary says. "Work in St. Pete is more focused on the relationships with field staff and kids."
The inspector general's findings noted: "Mr. Peterman did not regularly travel to other facilities or districts."
A statement from Crist's office said he "looks forward to reviewing the Inspector General's full and complete report in the next two weeks. At that time, we will look at the entire findings and provide direct comment about the completed investigation."
Peterman, 47, earns $120,000 a year as Department of Juvenile Justice secretary, overseeing 4,800 full-time employees and a $619 million budget. The department provides prevention and treatment services for troubled children and also runs the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna whose 100-year history of abuse has been chronicled by the St. Petersburg Times.
During his time as an agency head, Peterman has continued to serve as pastor of the Rock of Jesus Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, where he preaches. His wife and children live in St. Petersburg.
Documents provided by the governor's office show that after joining the administration, Peterman sought $26,000 in improvements to an office in St. Petersburg that he has used during frequent state-paid visits.
It's not unusual for agency heads to have satellite offices, but the inspector general review found that Peterman often spends four days a week in St. Petersburg (Friday through Monday) and the other three days at the agency's Tallahassee headquarters.
According to an inspector general's summary of an interview with Baker, his executive assistant: "Baker stated that she wasn't sure what is so critical in the District Office that required the Secretary (Peterman) to be there weekly."
Records also show that the secretary Peterman hired to work in that office, Corinne Brown, is a part-time employee of Peterman's church.
Baker is one of at least five current or former agency employees questioned about Peterman's travel by Inspector General Melinda Miguel's office.
"Ms. Baker stated that flights are missed and periodically need to be rescheduled because of oversleeping if the Secretary does not get up on time or does not receive a wake-up call," a summary of her interview says. "She does not perform a comparison of flying versus driving, but has suggested to the secretary that he drive."
Peterman said his aide was "misinformed," and it's "not accurate" that he missed flights due to oversleeping. He attributed the missed flights to traffic, meetings that ran late or unexpected phone calls.
The inspector general found that Peterman flew about 70 times between Tampa and Tallahassee between February 2008 and November 2009 at a cost of $23,572, a figure slightly higher than the Times/Herald originally reported.
Peterman's missed some 8 a.m. flights leaving Tampa International Airport. The state report does not show how many of those were from oversleeping, and Peterman did not provide specifics to his interrogators.
"Hard to answer," a summary of Peterman's interview says of his response. "He was trying to get to meetings or to work."
Peterman's justification for leaving a car in short-term parking for several days at a time? "Timeliness to make flights. Tried to have folks drop him off."
The inspector general's report also noted that Peterman charged taxpayers to park cars in both cities for round-trip flights. "Why?" the report asked. "Is it possible the Secretary had a car parked at the airport for his use upon arrival? The charges seem to be unusually high … how was this justified?"
The tentative findings note that Peterman's travel habits did not change even after state agencies received a belt-tightening edict last January to restrict travel to trips that are "critical" to the agency's mission, which Peterman defined as travel "for direct care of children."
In his interview summary, Peterman said his Tampa trips were critical to the agency's mission: "For example, traveling to TPA to make a meeting to deal with DJJ issues."
A followup memo in September from Crist's deputy chief of staff, David Foy, cautioned: "Remember we are working for the people of Florida, and treat your agency budget like you would be paying out of your own checkbook."
Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.
Superintendent of Marianna boys' school was on the way out, records show
Department of Juvenile Justice officials said they were "surprised" when Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys superintendent Mary Zahasky stepped down after a critical performance evaluation on Dec. 17.
"That's a personal decision that she made, not that we made for her," spokesman Frank Penela said at the time.
But records suggest no one should have been surprised.
Documents obtained by the St. Petersburg Times show the department picked a new superintendent a month and a half before Zahasky resigned.
In a Nov. 4 memo to the department's second in command, Zahasky's boss, Mary Mills, wrote:
"We have identified Mr. Michael Cantrell, current Regional Director for North Detention, as the new Superintendent for the Dozier School. . . . We feel Mr. Cantrell has the type of leadership skills needed to address the re-structuring plans for management of the Arthur G. Dozier School and Jackson Juvenile Offender Correction Center. This position is critical in meeting the needs to ensure the safety and security of the youth and staff in the program."
The memo refers to Zahasky as the "vacating superintendent."
Deputy Secretary Rod Love signed off on a 10 percent salary increase for Cantrell on Nov. 10. Thirty-seven days later, Zahasky met with her boss for a performance evaluation and was blamed for failing to control the reform school, which has been scandalized by a series of institutional failures. The evaluation criticized Zahasky for not being visible to the boys and staff members, not addressing safety and security lapses and not identifying issues "before they are known to outsiders."
Zahasky also was presented with suggestions to improve her performance. But she stepped down.
"Due to the Dept. feels I am unable to do this job and has lost faith in me, has left me recognizing I need to step down with Residential," she wrote on her evaluation.
Officials now say they don't know why the Nov. 4 memo was written to sound as if they had already chosen Cantrell as superintendent.
"I don't know why the language reads like that," said Penela. "There was no decision made until afterward."
Zahasky's departure, Penela said, "was a surprise to us. It was a surprise to everybody."
In a written response to questions, Darryl Olson, assistant secretary for residential services, said: "A decision was made to appoint Mike in the event that Mary failed to comply with her performance improvement plan. We had good reason to believe that she would not comply. We did not want to wait for that to happen before appointing a replacement. That is why we had Mike lined up."
The Nov. 4 memo also says the school failed its annual review.
"As you are aware the program has failed their Quality Assurance Review this year and has been under continuous media attention. We feel a new leadership team needs to be identified to move this program forward."
The Times made written requests for copies of that quality assurance report on Nov. 5, Nov. 18, Nov. 30, Dec. 3, Dec. 17 and Dec. 18. Each request was denied. The department released the report on Dec. 22, after Zahasky stepped down.
Penela said the report wasn't written until Dec. 22, and the copy it released then was still a draft.
"I got it to you as fast as I could," he said.
How did officials know on Nov. 4 that Dozier had failed the review if the review wasn't complete until Dec. 22?
"We were aware of the failed QA based on the scoring grid that is prepared immediately following the review," Olson wrote. "The final report is prepared at a later date. We did not need a final report to begin taking corrective action."
Cantrell, 42, who has 20 years of experience working with juveniles, has started at the state's oldest reform school. The school's seventh superintendent in nine years, he'll make $91,316 a year, 23 percent more than Zahasky's annual salary of $74,284.
Ben Montgomery can be reached at bmontgomery@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8650. Waveney Ann Moore can be reached at wmoore@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2283.
New super promises reform at Dozier
Michael Cantrell, the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys’ seventh superintendent in nine years, admits that Dozier “has a ways to go” and that “things need to tightened up” for the facility as a whole.
Cantrell does, however, have faith in the changes under way and the positive direction he plans to lead the facility toward.
Cantrell, 42, started as superintendent on Jan. 4. He has 21 years of experience working with juveniles, and has worked for the state for the past five-years. Cantrell took over from former superintendent Mary Zahasky, who stepped down on Dec. 17 after an unfavorable DJJ performance review.
After leaving his position as regional director for Detention Services for North Florida, Cantrell came to Marianna to try and repair the state’s oldest reform school. He agrees that his previous experience differs from his duties as superintendent, but says, “I can promise you, it’s going to get better around here.”
Cantrell graduated from Union College in Kentucky, where he studied sociology and psychology.
“I’ve known since I was 15 that this was the line of work I wanted to get into,” Cantrell said. “I helped start a peer counseling program in high school, where I learned the value of this type of work. It’s about impacting lives.”
Cantrell explained that he came to Dozier for that reason — to “impact lives”.
Given Dozier’s current state and tarnished reputation, Cantrell seems to have his work cut out for him.
The history of allegations of abuse, the recent case of an inmate who had videotape of his abuse at the hands of a guard, and the multiple managerial and staff issues are among some of the many hurdles Cantrell must face. Now, along with the lack of stability in the superintendent position and continuous media surveillance, Dozier is facing more scrutiny after failing an annual review by Department of Juvenile Justice officials.
The annual review was completed prior to Cantrell assuming leadership.
However, Cantrell addressed these issues in an interview Friday by explaining that obviously, improvements need to be made.
“There’s nothing I can do about the past, all I can do is work on Jan. 4 and on,” Cantrell said. “But what I can tell you is we’re tightening up, and we’ve raised expectations.”
DJJ officials spent three days last October reviewing records and interviewing residents and staff members. As a result of the findings, Dozier failed the review. According to the quality assurance report, there are many areas in need of improvement.
“I’ll be honest with you, there were two main areas that caused the failure,” Cantrell said. “First, our medical services. We failed that standard because we didn’t have a full-time doctor and had a shortage of nurses. However, we now have a full-time doctor on campus, and all nurse positions are filled.
“Then there was an issue of safety and security, which was another standard we didn’t meet, but one we are taking all measures to correct,” Cantrell noted.
According to the DJJ report, investigators found that guards were losing their keys frequently, weren’t frisking the boys properly, and at times were failing to transport the boys according to the specified guidelines. Cantrell said administration was working to address these issues. The regular loss of keys led to the implementation of a new key control, which includes key pads and a permanent key ring that will never leave campus, Cantrell said.
The youth surveys taken by DJJ officials also identified areas of concern. Seven of the nine boys surveyed said guards have threatened them or they have heard guards threaten other boys, and five of the nine said they did not feel safe.
When asked about these issues Friday, Cantrell responded, “Is it possible that a guard has said, ‘I’m going to beat your you know what?’ It wouldn’t shock me. Do I think that the boys also look at these surveys as a way to get back at this place? Absolutely I do. But regardless, I am doing everything possible to assure that this behavior is not tolerated.
“Any staff member caught cursing at the kids, I will send home on the spot. No questions asked.”
Cantrell is also currently in the process of evaluating the facility as a whole to identify the areas needed for improvement. He has met with all the department heads to set his expectations for all staff members, and has personally walked through all the resident cottages to observe the boys and assess their habits. Cantrell added that he is also constantly observing the staff and gauging their attitudes.
“I want to be sure we have all the right people in all the right positions,” he said.
As expected, the recent evaluation failure has attracted more negative attention for Dozier and has not gone unnoticed in the state’s capital. The St. Petersburg Times reported Friday that Gov. Charlie Crist said if the state can’t fix the school, “then you can do what’s necessary, including shutting it down.”
The Times also quoted Sen. Victor Crist, chairman of the Senate committee that recommends funding for corrections institutions.
“Right now we’re in conversation mode. We have to make some very serious decisions, and this looks like a no-brainer,” the Tampa Republican state senator said.
Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, also commented on the issue, and was clear in her assurance that after speaking to Sen. Crist personally, she was confident there are no plans to close Dozier.
“I spoke with Senator Crist and he said that there are budget issues surrounding all correction facilities. But as far as Dozier is concerned, there are no plans on anyone’s radar to close the facility. DJJ doesn’t want it to close and neither do I or a majority of my constituents,” Coley said.
Cantrell responded to the talk of closure by saying, “I have been assured that Dozier is not going to close and that we will receive all the resources we need to improve every facet of what goes on here.”
According to Cantrell, one of the biggest improvements is the creation and implementation of an electronic data collection system. Currently, most of the school’s data is recorded by hand, making it difficult to sort through and identify trends.
“With this new system, we will have all the data in one central place, which will allow us to pinpoint any problem areas. At the click of a button, we would be able to identify issues such as the cottage with the most disciplinary problems, or a time period with the most grievances. The collection of this data would then prompt us to investigate these areas and solve the problem,” Cantrell said.
In addition to the data collection system, Cantrell hopes to incorporate programs in hydroponics, computer science as well as a possible culinary arts program. Cantrell explained that not all students want to drive nails or work under cars. he said, and these programs could be great additions to the current vocational programs.
With all the negative news lately, the positive has been constantly overlooked, Cantrell said.
“We have numerous vocational programs, all of which have been successful in the past. The kids really enjoy them and they teach skills on many levels,” Cantrell said.
The boys have many options, including training in plumbing, auto mechanics, masonry, carpeting, general facility maintenance as well as CPR and lifeguard training.
There is also the Fetch program, which includes an on-campus kennel for dogs adopted from shelters. This program gives the boys an opportunity to provide obedience training and house-breaking for the dogs. The dogs can then be adopted for free by the public.
“The Fetch Program is great for teaching patience and empathy. The boys learn to care for the animal and form a bond, which is something some struggle to do,” Cantrell said.
Cantrell said regardless of what the media reports or the talk going around, he plans to focus solely on the turnaround of Dozier.
“We have nothing to hide here,” he said. “We want the community to be involved, and we are making strides to turn this place around. We will get this place back to where it needs to be, and we hope the community will help us in their support.”
AS I SEE IT: The problem here is that the state of Florida still ‘doesn’t get it.’ This new fellow will certainly make reforms in a “reform school.” The problem here is that the reforms he’s going to institute will most likely only reform policies and/or standards of and for the benefit of the institution itself and not a reform of policies which will actually benefit the boys. Until theses policy changes benefit the children and reduces the recidivism rate; nothing will ever change.
If the state really wants to make reasonable changes they need to sit down with six or seven of the White House Boys and listen to what they have to say. Learn from the past about what policies and rules helped and/or damaged these men many years ago. The evidence is clear if someone in authority has the sense to take the time to listen, learn and institute change(s).
Governor: Might I suggest (1) Roger Kiser (Author), (2) Andrew Puel (Businessman), (3) Michael O’McCarthy (Writer/Producer), (4) Bryant Middleton (Army Captain), (5) Sam Moles, (6) Robert W. Straley (Businessman) and (7) Alvin Ray Yount (Professor).
Roger Dean Kiser
Critical state report targets Juvenile Justice chief Peterman
TALLAHASSEE — A highly critical state report released Tuesday night finds Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman ran up $25,000 in questionable travel and should reimburse taxpayers for those expenses.
The report by Gov. Charlie Crist's chief inspector general, Melinda Miguel, concludes Peterman's frequent flights between Tallahassee and Tampa were not adequately documented. She concluded that the lack of paperwork and corroborating testimony "does not support his statement" that the travel was necessary.
"Evidence does not dispel the appearance that Peterman's travel to and from the St. Petersburg area was for his own convenience," the report says. "We recommend corrective action be taken including, but not limited to, obtaining reimbursement to the state for travel not fully and completely justified as official state business."
Peterman, 47, told the Times/Herald that he would repay the state for all questionable travel.
"I want to do whatever I can to reimburse whatever the appropriate amount is," Peterman said. "Nothing I've done has been intentional. I did what I thought at the time was part of my job."
The report comes as Crist is emphasizing the need for the state to cut expenses and "live within our means" to bridge a budget deficit of nearly $3 billion in the coming year.
"It's pretty concerning to me," Crist told the Times/Herald Tuesday night at the Governor's Mansion. "We're trying to work out a solution to this situation, and I'm hopeful that we can resolve it in a positive way."
Crist said a repayment by Peterman would have to be in a "lump sum," which Peterman said was appropriate. He said he has no plans to resign.
The inspector general's review was prompted by a Times/Herald report in November that showed Peterman spent $44,000 on travel since becoming secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice in February 2008.
He has traveled frequently to St. Petersburg, where his family lives and where he continues to serve as pastor of the Rock of Jesus Missionary Baptist Church and earns a $29,000 salary. He owns two houses in St. Petersburg and a town house in Tallahassee.
The inspector general found that Peterman's trips between Tampa and Tallahassee between February 2008 and November 2009 cost $24,344.58.
Peterman's travel bills include $2,848 in parking charges, $7,430 for hotel rooms and $1,600 in fees to change flight times. The report criticizes his frequent use of short-term airport parking and notes he charged the state $785 for five hotel nights and a rental car for two conferences in Tampa.
Investigators interviewed Crist's top aides, who said they repeatedly warned Peterman to stop flying at taxpayer expense so often. But the flights continued even after a directive reminded all agency heads to travel as cheaply as possible and only when it was "mission critical."
Miguel and her staff interviewed 18 people, including Peterman's chief of staff, Kelly Layman; Crist's former chief of staff, Eric Eikenberg; and former deputy chief of staff Lori Rowe, who supervised Peterman and who advised him to find a home in Tallahassee as quickly as possible.
"Rowe said she counseled Peterman repeatedly including advising him that he should drive versus fly. Rowe said that Peterman repeatedly disregarded her counsel," the report says.
Peterman said he traveled frequently to DJJ's district office in St. Petersburg to meet with staff members and families of troubled children from one of the seven urban centers with the highest juvenile crime rates.
Chief of staff Layman described Peterman's work schedule in St. Petersburg as "not robust" and that he "usually did not answer his cellular phone when she called him," the report stated.
Peterman earns $120,000 a year as DJJ secretary, overseeing 4,800 full-time employees and a $619 million budget. The agency provides prevention and treatment for troubled children and runs the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, whose 100-year history of abuse has been chronicled by the St. Petersburg Times.
Peterman served seven years in the state House as a Democrat from St. Petersburg before he joined the Crist administration. He is one of a handful of Democratic agency heads.
In January 2009, Crist's office issued a belt-tightening edict to all state agencies to restrict travel to trips that are "critical" to the agency's mission. Lawmakers included a similar decree in last year's budget. Days before Peterman's travel habits made headlines, Crist's chief of staff, Shane Strum, issued another plea to curtail travel.
Peterman said Tuesday night that since the investigation began in November, he's been driving a state car between Tallahassee and St. Petersburg, explaining: "It is obviously what needs to happen."
Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com or (850) 224-7263.
[Last modified: Jan 26, 2010 10:27 PM]
Reform ‘a big job' at Dozier School
Newest superintendent hiring another supervisor
February 07, 2010 03:49:00 PM
ANDREW GANT / News Herald Writer
MARIANNA — The latest boss at the troubled Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys will hire another superintendent to oversee day-to-day operations at the facility, where he said reform “is a big job” but is “absolutely going in the right direction.”
Michael Cantrell, who oversees both the Dozier school and the maximum-risk Jackson Juvenile Offender Correction Center (JJOC) that sits on Dozier’s campus, said the state already has corrected many of the most glaring problems.
“I walk around every day to every living unit on both sides, and I’ve told staff, ‘If I see you cursing at a kid or whatever, I’ll ask you to go home on the spot and ask you to seriously consider whether you want to work here,’” Cantrell said. “We have no room for that here.”
Dozier, which houses “high-risk” boys between the ages of 13 to 21, came under scrutiny in October 2008, when the state sealed shut a campus building where dozens of men claimed they were beaten and abused as boys. Some 300 men joined a class-action lawsuit against the state, alleging decades of systematic abuse they said still could be happening. The school is more than 100 years old, the oldest in Florida.
Dozier failed its 2009 evaluation, during which the state reported “an alarming number of youth … felt supervision was lacking” and that guards threatened students.
Cantrell said the current superintendent handling Dozier’s everyday operation is transferring back to the higher-security JJOC.
The open position has a wide salary range of about $26,000 to $110,000 and is responsible for “direct care operations and security” at Dozier. The minimum requirements are a master’s degree with eight years experience working with delinquent juveniles or a bachelor’s degree and 10 years experience. Three of the years must be at management level.
The last complex superintendent, Mary Zahasky, resigned in December, writing that the Department of Juvenile Justice “has lost faith in me” after her own poor job review stated the school had “significant safety and security issues and no action was taken by Ms. Zahasky or her staff.”
Zahasky now is an intake supervisor for the state, according to DOJJ spokesman Frank Penela. He said she meets with judges in juvenile cases “to decide what’s the best treatment for the child.”
Cantrell, 42, who took the job Jan. 4 and became the seventh superintendent in nine years, is paid about $91,000 per year, according to the state. Zahasky made about $74,000.
Meanwhile, Cantrell said this week he has “raised the bar quite a bit” at Dozier and that “obviously I think there’s people in all phases of what we do out here that need to step their game up.”
He said the school has hired a full-time physician and a full-time dentist. In 2008, some boys’ complaints alleged medical neglect and the school had a shortage of medical personnel.
The school also is toughening its key control system, Cantrell said. Some 80 sets of keys to the facility have been going off campus overnight. By next Monday, he said, zero permanent-issue keys will leave campus.
Cantrell said Dozier has not recently surveyed its students to detect possible mistreatment, but “we have a grievance process here and we’re monitoring them very closely for those kinds of things.”
Officials and residents in Jackson County have lobbied against Dozier’s closure, although the DOJJ has said it is not planning any cutbacks. The worry is that bad news coming out of the facility will cause the state to cut ties and eliminate local jobs in the process.
“I don’t know where the disconnect came with the community and the school, but we’re mending those fences,” Cantrell said. “We want to make sure that we’re doing things right and that the news coming out of Dozier is good.”
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Robert Loyal Currie
