WHEREAS, pursuant to § 985.02(3)(b), Florida Statutes, the policy of the State of Florida concerning juvenile justice and delinquency prevention is to provide alternatives to institutionalization, and

        WHEREAS, pursuant to § 985.435(4), Florida Statutes, a juvenile probation program may also include an alternative consequence component to address noncompliance with technical conditions swiftly and appropriately, and

        WHEREAS, use of a Graduated Response Matrix (GRM) has shown to be an effective method of responding to certain violations of probation;

        NOW THEREFORE, I, JAMES R. CLAYTON, Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, hereby order that each dispositional order of probation, post-commitment probation, and conditional release in a juvenile delinquency case in the Seventh Judicial Circuit is to include a Graduated Response Matrix (attached hereto as Exhibit A) as a judicial option for addressing specified technical violations of probation.  When authorized, a GRM may be utilized by the Department of Juvenile Justice or its designee to address technical violations of probation committed by juveniles.  In cases where a GRM is utilized to address a violation, no formal affidavit of violation of probation is to be filed.  Rather, in cases where a GRM is utilized, documentation of the violation and corresponding consequence imposed is to be reflected in the youth’s file.

TO BE RECORDED in Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, and Volusia counties.

DONE AND ORDERED in DeLand, Volusia County, Florida, this 14th day of April 2023.