Background Screening Overview (Processing A New Applicant) –Why we screen –Who must be screened –How to request a screening –Screening process & timeframes –Rating -Who can/cannot be hired –Exemption process –Fingerprint Retention –Annual Affidavit –How to contact us  Table of Content:

Florida Statute  Requires background screening to be completed *prior to employment and volunteering  Requires background screening of current employees & volunteers *every 5 years of employment or volunteering Background Screening is not optional. It’s the Law!

Purpose for Background Screening To ensure all applicants for employment or who want to volunteer meet screening requirements prior to having contact with youth or confidential youth records

ALL:  Employees,  Volunteers,  Mentors,  Interns,  and Researchers Who Must Be Screened? Note: Contract provider volunteers, interns, and mentors who volunteer for less than 10 hours per month don’t have to be screened, but must always be in the line of sight of a screened staff member while volunteering. (This clause only applies to contract providers and does not apply to DJJ volunteers.)

ALL counselors, doctors, nurses, ministers, and others who are not employees, but seek to conduct unsupervised activities with youth Who else must be Screened?

School Board Teachers that are *paid by DJJ or a DJJ contract/grant provider to teach in a program must be screened by DJJ. Screening School Board Teachers * If the funding source is the school board or a school board contract provider a DJJ background screening is not required.

Screening Law Enforcement or Security Officers Law Enforcement or Security Officers that are *paid by DJJ or a DJJ contract/grant provider to work in a program must be screened by DJJ. * If the funding source is not DJJ or a DJJ contract provider a background screening is not required.

Employee Transfers & Promotions When an employee is promoted or transferred within the same company, a new background screening is not required unless there is a break in service. * Transferring from DJJ to Provider (or visa versa) or from Provider to Provider requires a new background screening.

How to Process A New Applicant Screening (Option 1) Faxing 1.Applicant will complete the appropriate background screening forms:  IG/BSU 001 (DJJ)  IG/BSU 002 (Providers)  IG/BSU 003 (Mandatory for DJJ & Providers) 2.HR Rep will send applicant to a local Livescan Service Provider to electronically submit fingerprints 3.HR Rep will fax the forms, a copy of the applicant’s driver’s license & social security card, and the service provider receipt to the BSU at (850) or  To locate a service provider, visit FDLE’s website at: Providers-and-Device-Vendors.aspx

How to Process A New Applicant Screening (Option 2) Mailing 1.Applicant will complete the appropriate background screening forms:  IG/BSU 001 (DJJ)  IG/BSU 002 (Providers)  IG/BSU 003 (Mandatory for DJJ & Providers) 2.HR Rep will mail the forms and a:  Copy of the driver’s license  Social security card  Fingerprint card  Payment or receipt for (*$24.57) to the BSU (*Fees only apply to contract/grant provider applicants.)  Use our online credit card payment system or  Send company check or money order made out to the Department of Juvenile Justice

Send packaged documents to Department of Juvenile Justice Office of the Inspector General Background Screening Unit 2737 Centerview Drive, Suite 3400 Tallahassee, FL Remember: Payment must be submitted with provider screenings when fingerprint cards are included. Our Mailing Address (Option 2) Continued

Background Screening Unit (BSU) Process The BSU will:  Process the screening  Apply a rating (Eligible/Ineligible)  * /Fax results to the HR Rep *Legibly print HR representatives address and fax number in section B of the screening form.

BSU Process (continued)  A completed screening will be /faxed to the HR Representative within 5 to 10 days

Eligible or Eligible w/Charges:  No criminal history exists OR  Criminal history exists with no disqualifying charges Rating Types

 Applicant can immediately be hired Eligible or Eligible W/ Charges

Ineligible:  A criminal history exists with *disqualifying charges *Disqualifying charges are listed on the Criminal History & PREA Acknowledgement (Form IG/BSU-003) Rating Types

 Applicant CANNOT be hired until an exemption is granted Ineligible

EXEMPTION  Exemptions are granted or denied by the Agency Head  Applicants can apply for an Exemption if:  At least 3 years has elapsed since they completed or was lawfully released from confinement, supervision, or sanction for the most recent felony disqualifying offense. (Disqualifying offenses are listed in F.S. 435)

EXEMPTION (Continued)  If the disqualifying offense is a misdemeanor or was a felony when committed, but is now a misdemeanor, the applicant can apply when the sanctions associated with the offense are lawfully completed.

EXEMPTION (Continued) Exemptions can not be granted to persons deemed a: Sexual Predator (F.S ) Career Offender (F.S ) Sexual Offender (F.S ) unless the requirement to register as a sexual offender has been removed pursuant to F.S

Fingerprint Retention Process  FDLE keeps the fingerprints of everyone screened until a request is made to remove them. (*This process is referred to as Fingerprint Retention.)  Providers will pay $6.48 to FDLE per year for each employee’s fingerprints retained.  Payment will be made to DJJ in the form of a check, money order, or online credit card payment and sent to the BSU. *Fingerprint Retention is not optional

Retention Removal Process  Removal of retained prints can occur when:  A person is no longer employed  A person is screened but not hired  To request removal: name, last 4 digits of SSN and Transaction Control Number (TCN) to  HR Representative must the person’s name, last 4 digits of SSN and Transaction Control Number (TCN) to

 Form IG/BSU-006 must be submitted once a year to attest that all employees and volunteers at your program were screened by DJJ.  Completing Form:  Facility Administrator will sign & notarize form  Scan, Fax, or Mail document to BSU  Due by January 30 of each year Annual Annual Affidavit of Level 2 Screening Standards (Form IG/BSU-006)

Mail requests to: Department of Juvenile Justice Office of the Inspector General Background Screening Unit 2737 Centerview Drive, Suite 3400 Tallahassee, FL Contact Us Send an to: PH: (850) FAX: (850) (850)