The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) says juveniles at the Okeechobee Juvenile Offender Corrections Center  (OJOCC) have been temporarily relocated to other facilities surrounding Okeechobee.

"The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is entrusted with the welfare and safe keeping of the youth who reside within our programs, including those who reside in programs operated by our contracted providers.," said DJJ Secretary Simone Marstiller in a statement to Lake Okeechobee News on Sept. 23. "Following recent incidents at the Okeechobee Juvenile Offender Corrections Center, a residential commitment facility operated by TrueCore Behavioral Solutions, DJJ has temporarily relocated the youth residing there to detention centers within the surrounding counties.”

There have been two riots at the Okeechobee facility in the last two months. On Aug. 10 twenty-three juveniles took over part of the facility and armed themselves with broken glass and other weapons.  

Nearly a month later, Okeechobee County Sheriff 's Office deputies responded to calls of another riot at the facility. According to the incident report by OCSO Deputy R. Broughton, deputies were contacted after multiple inmates began to damage property and become violent. Upon arrival deputy Broughton spoke to staff at OJOCC who informed him that several inmates were creating a disturbance and had barricaded themselves inside, using shoes and chairs to damage or destroy multiple windows, lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, and the laundry mat glass door. OCSO deputies were able to return all inmates to their assigned areas with the minimal amount of force necessary. No inmates or facility staff were injured during the incident. 

OCSO has had to respond to 10 calls for service to the level 10 facility since Aug. 1.