6VAC35. Department (Board) of Juvenile Justice
VAC AGENCY NO. 35
DEPARTMENT (STATE BOARD) OF JUVENILE JUSTICE
AGENCY SUMMARY
The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) provides services to juveniles and families by operating 30 court service units (CSUs) and one juvenile correctional center (JCC). DJJ's mission is to protect the public by preparing court-involved and committed youth to be successful citizens. To accomplish its mission, DJJ provides an integrated approach to juvenile justice that brings together current research and best practices to better understand and modify delinquent behavior; to meet the needs of offenders, victims, and communities; and to manage activities and resources in a responsible and proactive manner. DJJ responds to court-involved juveniles using a balanced approach that provides (i) protection of public safety through structured community supervision or secure confinement, (ii) a system of incentives and graduated sanctions in both community and direct care settings to ensure accountability for a juvenile's actions, and (iii) a variety of services and programs that build skills and competencies (e.g., substance use and aggression management treatment, support for academic and career-readiness education) to enable juveniles to become law-abiding members of the community during and upon release from DJJ's supervision.
The CSUs provide intake, probation, and parole services. Intake services are available 24 hours a day at each of the 32 CSUs across the state, including two locally operated CSUs. The intake officer on duty has the authority to receive, review, and process complaints for delinquency cases and status offenses. In addition to handling delinquency, child in need of services complaints, and child in need of supervision complaints, CSUs provide intake services for domestic relations complaints. These complaints include non-support, family abuse, determination of custody (permanent and temporary), abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, visitation rights, paternity, and emancipation. Juvenile probation in Virginia strives to achieve a balanced approach, focusing on the principles of community protection (public safety), accountability, and competency development. Parole planning is initiated when a juvenile is committed to DJJ, and parole supervision is designed to assist in the successful transition back to the community. Parole builds on the programs and services the juvenile received during the period of secure confinement.
The JCC is responsible for juveniles committed to DJJ, ensuring that they receive treatment and educational services while in a safe and secure setting. Various units of DJJ support the JCC in providing behavioral services, health services, educational and career-readiness services, food services, and maintenance. Programs within the JCCs offer community reintegration and specialized services in a secure residential setting. Juveniles admitted to direct care complete the orientation, evaluation, and classification process. Evaluations include medical, psychological, behavioral, educational, career-readiness, and sociological.
In addition to the JCC, juveniles in direct care may be placed in community placement programs (CPPs) or detention reentry programs. In both of these programs, locally or regionally operated JDCs provide highly structured residential placements closer to committed the juvenile's home communities to facilitate an easier transition after release.
DJJ audits and certifies 32 CSUs, 15 group homes or other nonsecure residential facilities, 24 JDCs, and one JCC. The Board of Juvenile Justice regulates and provides oversight for these programs and facilities.
Section 66-10 of the Code of Virginia authorizes the State Board of Juvenile Justice (state board) to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of Title 66 of the Code of Virginia and other laws of the Commonwealth. The section also allows the state board to adopt all necessary regulations for the management and operation of the schools in DJJ, except that any such regulations adopted shall not conflict with regulations relating to security of the institutions in which the juveniles are committed.
The following sections of the Code of Virginia give the state board additional specific powers and duties, both mandatory and discretionary:
Section 16.1-223 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations governing the security and confidentiality of data in the Virginia Juvenile Justice Information System.
Section 16.1-233 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to establish minimum standards for CSU staff and related supportive personnel and to promulgate regulations pertaining to their appointment and functions to the end that uniform services, insofar as is practical, will be available to juvenile and domestic relations district courts throughout the Commonwealth.
Section 16.1-284.1 of the Code of Virginia requires the standards established by the state board for secure juvenile detention centers to require separate services for the rehabilitation of juveniles placed in postdispositional detention programs for more than 30 calendar days.
Section 16.1-293.1 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations for the planning and provision of mental health, substance abuse, or other therapeutic treatment services for persons returning to the community following commitment to a JCC or post-dispositional detention program.
Section 16.1-309.3 of the Code of Virginia authorizes the state board to approve local plans for the development, implementation, and operation of a community-based system of services under the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (Article 12.1 (§ 16.1-309.2 et seq.) of Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 of the Code of Virginia). This section also requires the board to solicit written comments on the plan from the judges of the juvenile and domestic relations court, the director of the court service unit, and if applicable, the director of programs established under the Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development Act (Chapter 3 (§ 66-26 et seq.) of Title 66 of the Code of Virginia).
Section 16.1-309.9 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate standards for the development, implementation, operation, and evaluation of the range of community-based programs, services, and facilities authorized by the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act.
Section 16.1-309.5 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations to serve as guidelines in evaluating requests for reimbursement of one-half the cost of construction, enlargement, renovation, purchase, or rental of a secure juvenile detention center or other home and to ensure the geographically equitable distribution of state funds provided for such purpose.
Section 16.1-322.7 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to make, adopt, and promulgate regulations governing eight specific aspects of the private management and operation of locally operated or regionally operated secure juvenile detention centers or other secure facilities.
Section 66-10 of the Code of Virginia authorizes the state board to establish and monitor policies for DJJ-operated and DJJ-regulated programs and facilities, ensure the development of a long-range youth services policy, monitor DJJ activities, advise the Governor and director on matters relating to youth services, establish length-of-stay guidelines for indeterminately committed juveniles, ensure the development of programs to educate the public and elicit public support, and establish compulsory minimum entry-level, in-service, and advanced training standards for juvenile correctional officers employed at a juvenile correctional center.
Section 66-10.1 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations to effectuate the purposes of Chapter 5.1 (§ 32.1-162.16 et seq.) of Title 32.1 of the Code of Virginia governing any human research conducted or authorized by DJJ.
Section 66-10.2 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board, in collaboration with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to promulgate regulations governing the housing of youth who are detained in a juvenile correctional facility pursuant to a contract with the federal government and not committed to such juvenile correctional facility by a court of the Commonwealth.
Section 66-24 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations that allow DJJ to assist and cooperate with other state departments in fulfilling their respective licensing and certification responsibilities of children's residential facilities and regulations for the certification of community group homes or other residential care facilities that contract with or are rented for the care of juveniles in direct state care. The state board's regulations shall establish DJJ as the single licensing agency, with the exception of educational programs licensed by the Department of Education, for group homes or residential facilities providing care of juveniles in direct state care.
Section 66-25.1 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations governing the form and review process for any agreement with a public or private entity for the operation of a work program for juveniles committed to DJJ.
Section 66-25.6 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to promulgate regulations governing the private management and operation of juvenile correctional facilities.
Section 66-28 of the Code of Virginia requires the state board to prescribe policies governing applications for grants pursuant to the Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development Act and standards for the operation of programs developed and implemented under the grants.
DJJ operates under the supervision of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Regulations are available at DJJ's central office at 600 East Main Street, 20th floor. (Mailing address: P.O. Box 1110, Richmond, VA 23218-1110). DJJ’s website is at http://www.djj.virginia.gov.
Rev. 7/2024