Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Annual" means within 13 months of the previous event or occurrence.

"Board" means Board of Juvenile Justice.

"Case record" or "record" means written or electronic information regarding a resident and the resident's family, if applicable, maintained in accordance with written procedures.

"Contraband" means any item possessed by or accessible to a resident or found within a juvenile correctional center or on its premises that (i) is prohibited by statute, regulation, or department procedure; (ii) is not acquired through approved channels or in prescribed amounts; or (iii) may jeopardize the safety and security of the juvenile correctional center or individual residents.

"Department" means the Department of Juvenile Justice.

"Direct care" means the time during which a resident who is committed to the department pursuant to § 16.1-272 or 16.1-285.1, or subsection A 14 or 17 of § 16.1-278.8 of the Code of Virginia is under the supervision of staff in a juvenile correctional center operated by or under contract with the department.

"Direct care staff" means the staff whose primary job responsibilities are for (i) maintaining the safety, care, and well-being of residents; (ii) implementing the structured program of care and the behavior management program; and (iii) maintaining the security of the facility.

"Direct supervision" means the act of working with residents who are not in the presence of direct care staff. Staff members who provide direct supervision are responsible for maintaining the safety, care, and well-being of the residents in addition to providing services or performing the primary responsibilities of that position.

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

"Emergency" means a sudden, generally unexpected occurrence or set of circumstances demanding immediate action such as a fire, chemical release, loss of utilities, natural disaster, taking of hostages, major disturbances, escape, and bomb threats. Emergency does not include regularly scheduled employee time off or other situations that could be reasonably anticipated.

"Health care record" means the complete record of medical screening and examination information and ongoing records of medical and ancillary service delivery, including but not limited to all findings, diagnoses, treatments, dispositions, prescriptions, and their administration.

"Health care services" means those actions, preventative and therapeutic, taken for the physical and mental well-being of a resident. Health care services include medical, dental, orthodontic, mental health, family planning, obstetrical, gynecological, health education, and other ancillary services.

"Health trained personnel" means an individual who is trained by a licensed health care provider to perform specific duties, such as administering health care screenings, reviewing screening forms for necessary follow-up care, preparing residents and records for sick call, and assisting in the implementation of certain medical orders.

"Individual service plan" or "service plan" means a written plan of action developed, revised as necessary, and reviewed at intervals, to meet the needs of a resident. The individual service plan specifies (i) measurable short-term and long-term goals; (ii) the objectives, strategies, and time frames for reaching the goals; and (iii) the individuals responsible for carrying out the plan.

"Juvenile correctional center," "JCC," or "facility" means a public or private facility, operated by or under contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice, where 24-hour per day care is provided to residents under the direct care of the department.

"Living unit" means the space in a juvenile correctional center in which a particular group of residents resides that contains sleeping areas, bath and toilet facilities, and a living room or its equivalent for use by the residents. Depending upon its design, a building may contain one living unit or several separate living units.

"On duty" means the period of time, during an employee's scheduled work hours, during which the employee is responsible for the direct supervision of one or more residents in performance of that employee's position's duties.

"Parent" or "legal guardian" means (i) a biological or adoptive parent who has legal custody of a resident, including either parent if custody is shared under a joint decree or agreement; (ii) a biological or adoptive parent with whom a resident regularly resides; (iii) a person judicially appointed as a legal guardian of a resident; or (iv) a person who exercises the rights and responsibilities of legal custody by delegation from a biological or adoptive parent, upon provisional adoption, or otherwise by operation of law.

"Premises" means the tracts of land on which any part of a juvenile correctional center is located and any buildings on such tracts of land.

"Reception and Diagnostic Center" or "RDC" means the juvenile correctional center that serves as the central intake facility for all individuals committed to the department. The Reception and Diagnostic Center's primary function is to orient, evaluate, and classify each resident before being assigned to a juvenile correctional center or alternative placement.

"Regulatory authority" means the board or the department if designated by the board.

"Resident" means an individual, either a minor or an adult, who is committed to the department and resides in a juvenile correctional center.

"Rules of conduct" means a listing of a juvenile correctional center's rules or regulations that is maintained to inform residents and others of the behavioral expectations of the behavior management program, about behaviors that are not permitted, and about the sanctions that may be applied when impermissible behaviors occur.

"Superintendent" means the individual who has the responsibility for the on-site management and operation of a juvenile correctional center on a regular basis.

"Volunteer" or "intern" means any individual or group who of their own free will provides goods and services without competitive compensation.

"Written" means the required information is communicated in writing. Such writing may be available in either hard copy or in electronic form.