FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Booch DeMarchi, Lee County Public Resources
             (239) 335-2481

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR THE JUVENILE ASSESSMENT CENTER

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 19, 2003) - The Board of Lee County Commissioners and representatives of local law enforcement and the juvenile justice system will host the official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Thursday (May 22) for the Juvenile Assessment Center that serves at-risk and delinquent youth and their families.

The ceremony will be at 9 a.m. at the center, located in downtown Fort Myers at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Heitman Street.

The $2.5-million, 8,707-square-foot facility is part of the Downtown Fort Myers Jail Complex.

The JAC provides an integrated, multidisciplinary assessment, service delivery system and case management system for juveniles referred for delinquency. It also helps accelerate a juvenile's access to appropriate treatment, enhances the ability to identify the needs of youth and families and identifies risk factors affecting delinquency in the community.