The SWEAT program offers an alternative to the Byzantine juvenile court system where juveniles can work off their offenses with community service, such as picking up litter on the side of the road.

When a juvenile violates probation, a contempt of court is filed. The juvenile can land in detention for up to five days for the first time. Since it costs about $300 a day to house a juvenile, the first contempt of court costs $1,500. A second contempt of court could see a juvenile earn 15 days in detention and a $4,500 debt.

The program allows offenders the chance to pay with sweat equity – literally.

“It started with the conversation, is there a better way to deal with these issues instead of locking them up or spending a bunch of money the family doesn’t have,” SWEAT coordinator Rick Curtis said.

One goal of the program was for juveniles to avoid gaining an extensive court record. The SWEAT program is non-residential. Juveniles are dropped off by an adult, work six to eight hours and are returned to their parents. Clay County Sheriff’s Office deputies supervise and evaluate juveniles.

Curtis credits Judge Tim Collins, Judge Kristina Mobley, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners and Sen. Rob Bradley with sculpting the county’s program. SWEAT received a $250,000 appropriation from the state in 2017.

Curtis was a probation officer with the state who retired in 2015. He was asked by Collins to coordinate the program. The first event had six children. Now 20-25 juveniles are signed up for each event.

“We kind of built from that,” Curtis said.

Collins, who supervises the program, said he felt SWEAT was effective, hopefully making offenders more responsible. The flexible program saved the county money and gave offenders an opportunity to change.

“It's wonderful to make them realize there are consequences for their actions instead of housing them,” Collins said. “You make them work it off.”

A recent development in the SWEAT program was adding violators with tobacco citations. Two SWEAT days, about 16 hours, and they’re done, Curtis said.

The SWEAT program found Bright Minds Youth Development for tutoring and mentoring. Most of the kids in the program are between 12 and 17 years old.

“It was designed to provide consequences with the work, but it was also designed to provide support,” Curtis said.

Curtis analyzed juveniles in the first eight months of the program and found 96% of youth did not go deeper into the court system while they were in the program. Once the SWEAT program was finished, 83% hadn’t gone deeper into the system. His study was completed earlier this year.

“At-risk youth, they haven’t committed the big crime yet, but they’re doing the little things that takes them there,” Curtis said.

Curtis said most children didn’t have a voice of reason. The young offenders needed a foundation, Curtis and Collins said, and they might not have the role models to divert them from delinquency.

“With the tutoring, when I visit with these kids, I can see it has an actual effect on their lives,” Collins said.