Jacksonville girls' program a national model for intervention

Now, on the 25th anniversary of its founding in Jacksonville, the PACE center's formula has become a national model. With 17 centers in Florida, it is unique in the nation as a female-focused intervention program. And it's gaining a lot of attention these days as researchers around the country are sounding the alarm about increasing numbers of girls and women getting in trouble with the law.

Instead of committing them to prisons and juvenile justice, girls need early intervention, which is more effective and cheaper, said Mary Marx, the interim president and CEO of statewide PACE Center organization.

About 90 percent of the girls who left the program remain out of trouble a year after leaving, according to outcome measures that the program is required to report to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The department pays $12,575 to support a young woman in a PACE program vs. $42,000 to place them in a juvenile commitment facility, Marx said.

Controlling the growth of the program over the years has been key to its success, Marx said, with the 17 centers added slowly over the years.