Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 958.11 (2025)

Designation of institutions and programs for youthful offenders; assignment from youthful offender institutions and programs.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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958.11 Designation of institutions and programs for youthful offenders; assignment from youthful offender institutions and programs.
(1) The department shall by rule designate separate institutions and programs for youthful offenders and shall employ and utilize personnel specially qualified by training and experience to operate all such institutions and programs for youthful offenders. Youthful offenders who are at least 14 years of age but who have not yet reached the age of 18 years at the time of reception shall be separated from offenders who are 18 years of age or older.
(2) Youthful offender institutions and programs shall contain only those youthful offenders sentenced as such by a court or classified as such by the department, pursuant to the requirements of subsections (7) and (9), except that under special circumstances select adult offenders may be assigned to youthful offender institutions. All female youthful offenders may continue to be housed together at those institutions designated by department rule.
(3) The department may assign a youthful offender who is 18 years of age or older to a facility in the state correctional system which is not designated for the care, custody, control, and supervision of youthful offenders or an age group only in the following circumstances:
(a) If the youthful offender is convicted of a new crime that is a felony under the laws of this state.
(b) If the youthful offender becomes such a serious management or disciplinary problem resulting from serious violations of the rules of the department that his or her original assignment would be detrimental to the interests of the program and to other inmates committed thereto.
(c) If the youthful offender needs medical treatment, health services, or other specialized treatment otherwise not available at the youthful offender facility.
(d) If the department determines that the youthful offender should be transferred outside of the state correctional system, as provided by law, for services not provided by the department.
(e) If bed space is not available in a designated community residential facility, the department may assign a youthful offender to a community residential facility, provided that the youthful offender is separated from other offenders insofar as is practical.
(4) The department may assign a youthful offender whose age does not exceed 17 years to an adult facility for medical or mental health reasons, for protective management, or for close management. The youthful offender shall be separated from offenders who are 18 years of age or older.
(5) If the youthful offender was originally assigned to a facility designated for 14- to 17-year-old youthful offenders, but subsequently reaches the age of 18 years, the department may retain the youthful offender in a facility designated for 18- to 22-year-old youthful offenders if the department determines that it is in the best interest of the youthful offender and the department.
(6) If the youthful offender was originally assigned to a facility designated for 18- to 22-year-old youthful offenders, but subsequently reaches the age of 23 years, the department may retain the offender in the facility until the age of 25 if the department determines that it is in the best interest of the youthful offender and the department.
(7) The department shall continuously screen all institutions, facilities, and programs for any inmate who meets the eligibility requirements for youthful offender designation specified in s. 958.04(1)(a) and (c) whose age does not exceed 24 years and whose total length of sentence does not exceed 10 years, and the department may classify and assign as a youthful offender any inmate who meets the criteria of this subsection.
(8) The department shall coordinate all youthful offender assignments or transfers and shall review and maintain access to full and complete documentation and substantiation of all such assignments or transfers of youthful offenders to or from facilities in the state correctional system which are not designated for their care, custody, and control, except assignments or transfers made pursuant to paragraph (3)(c).
(9) The department may assign to a youthful offender facility any inmate, except a capital or life felon, whose age does not exceed 19 years but who does not otherwise meet the criteria of this section, if the department determines that such inmate’s mental or physical vulnerability would substantially or materially jeopardize his or her safety in a nonyouthful offender facility. Assignments made under this subsection shall be included in the department’s annual report.
History.s. 11, ch. 78-84; s. 22, ch. 85-288; s. 104, ch. 94-209; s. 51, ch. 95-283; s. 39, ch. 96-312; s. 1882, ch. 97-102; s. 8, ch. 2008-250; s. 7, ch. 2017-31.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 10 cases, 1989–2018 · leading case: Christian v. State, 84 So. 3d 437 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012).
Christian v. State, 84 So. 3d 437 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). · cites it 8× “Section 958.11, Florida Statutes, requires the Department of Corrections to “designate separate institutions and programs for youthful offenders.”
State of Florida v. Harry James Chubbuck, 141 So. 3d 1163 (Fla. 2014). · cites it 8× “11(3)(c) authorizes the DOC to assign a youthful offender to a facility not designed for the care, custody, control, and supervision of youthful offenders if the offender needs “specialized treatment otherwise not available at the youthful offender facility.”
Michael A. Barfield v. David Brierton, Louis Carmichael, Richard Dugger, Thomas Barton, David E. Watson, Jerry C. Wade, Randall R. Music, John Shaw, 883 F.2d 923 (11th Cir. 1989). · cites it 2× “In this case, the plaintiff points to three sources to establish the existence of his liberty interest: Fla.Stat. § 958.11; 15 Fla.Admin.Code Ann.”
Blacker v. State, 49 So. 3d 785 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010). · cites it 2× “See § 958.11, Fla. Stat. (2009) (requiring that the department “designate separate institutions and programs for youthful offenders .”
Chauncey Davis v. State, 223 So. 3d 1106 (Fla. 5th DCA 2017). · cites it 2× “4th DCA 2010); § 958.11, Fla. Stat. (2008)). The trial court erred in not maintaining Davis’s youthful offender status when it sentenced him after violating community control.”
Harvey v. State, 616 So. 2d 521 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). · cites it 2× “" Section 958.11(2) provides that "[y]outhful offender institutions .”
Long v. State, 99 So. 3d 997 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). · cites it 2× “4th DCA 2010); see also § 958.11, Fla. Stat. (2008). On remand, the trial court shall correct the sentencing documents to reflect the continuation of Long’s youthful offender designation.”
State v. Lezcano, 586 So. 2d 1287 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991). · cites it 2× “See § 958.11(6), Fla.Stat. (1989). In Lezeano’s previous conviction, he was not adjudicated or sentenced as a youthful offender.”
Christopher Thomas v. State of Florida, 244 So. 3d 1131 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018). · cites it 2× “at 1025 ; § 958.11, Fla. Stat. (2010). Nevertheless, the defendant presently is not entitled to relief because he did not preserve this error for review by either objecting at sentencing or timely filing a motion pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.”
Riley v. State, 743 So. 2d 148 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999). · cites it 2× “It is appellant’s contention that the trial court, appellant’s counsel, and appellant were unaware of the language in section 958.11(4), Florida Statutes (1997), which allows treatment as a youthful offender to those “whose total length of sentence does not exceed 10 years.”
— 958.11(2) — 1 case
Harvey v. State, 616 So. 2d 521 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). “" Section 958.11(2) provides that "[y]outhful offender institutions .”
— 958.11(3)(a) — 1 case
Christian v. State, 84 So. 3d 437 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). “Section 958.11, Florida Statutes, requires the Department of Corrections to “designate separate institutions and programs for youthful offenders.”
— 958.11(3)(b) — 2 cases
Christian v. State, 84 So. 3d 437 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012). “Section 958.11, Florida Statutes, requires the Department of Corrections to “designate separate institutions and programs for youthful offenders.”
Harvey v. State, 616 So. 2d 521 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). “" Section 958.11(2) provides that "[y]outhful offender institutions .”
— 958.11(3)(c) — 1 case
State of Florida v. Harry James Chubbuck, 141 So. 3d 1163 (Fla. 2014). “11(3)(c) authorizes the DOC to assign a youthful offender to a facility not designed for the care, custody, control, and supervision of youthful offenders if the offender needs “specialized treatment otherwise not available at the youthful offender facility.”
— 958.11(3)(e) — 1 case
State of Florida v. Harry James Chubbuck, 141 So. 3d 1163 (Fla. 2014). “11(3)(c) authorizes the DOC to assign a youthful offender to a facility not designed for the care, custody, control, and supervision of youthful offenders if the offender needs “specialized treatment otherwise not available at the youthful offender facility.”
— 958.11(4) — 1 case
Riley v. State, 743 So. 2d 148 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999). “It is appellant’s contention that the trial court, appellant’s counsel, and appellant were unaware of the language in section 958.11(4), Florida Statutes (1997), which allows treatment as a youthful offender to those “whose total length of sentence does not exceed 10 years.”
— 958.11(6) — 1 case
State v. Lezcano, 586 So. 2d 1287 (Fla. 3d DCA 1991). “See § 958.11(6), Fla.Stat. (1989). In Lezeano’s previous conviction, he was not adjudicated or sentenced as a youthful offender.”
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