NCJ Number
195048
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 64 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 104-107,113
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes a juvenile detention facility in Virginia that serves three different counties and is a model of government collaboration and efficiency as well as a prototype for exceptional juvenile detention care.
Abstract
This article describes how the James River Juvenile Detention Center came to fruition as well as how it operates. Three Virginia counties: Henrico, Goochland, and Powhatan Counties collaborated to build and operate a juvenile detention center to accommodate an increasing juvenile detention population. Each county faced community opposition when they individually attempted to build separate facilities in their respective counties. The solution was to come together to build and operate one facility. The facility is not only a model of government collaboration and cooperation, it also serves as a prototype for exceptional juvenile detention care. The mission of James River is to ensure community safety through a secure juvenile center, to provide quality care for its young residents, and to rehabilitate youthful offenders. In fact, James River is more focused on rehabilitation than on confinement. The goal is to teach youthful offenders appropriate coping strategies for difficult situations they typically face in their communities. The authors of this article envision more joint ventures such as the James River Juvenile Detention Center in other counties of Virginia, and hopefully across the Nation.