NCJ Number
167138
Date Published
1997
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Juvenile detention in West Virginia is examined with respect to the efforts of the West Virginia Juvenile Justice Committee/Facilities Review Panel to establish an effective and efficient juvenile detention system in the State and the Committee's recommendations related to recent changes in juvenile codes and the termination of the Committee.
Abstract
The Committee has examined juvenile detention since its formation in 1978. Early Committee inspections of juvenile detention centers revealed a nonsystem in which young and inexperienced children were incarcerated with older youth charged with serious offenses. In addition, the process for admitting youth to juvenile detention lacked due process and the experience was little more than expensive babysitting. The Committee published 23 facility inspection reports with recommendations. It also actively collaborated with the Legislative Commission on Juvenile Law to improve juvenile detention services. It concluded that a lack of standards to guide decisionmaking by judicial officers was a major problem. These and other efforts caused significant improvements in the State's juvenile detention system. However, significant improvements are still needed to address new challenges to enforce standards, prevent overcrowding, protect public safety and fiscal interests, and ensure that the juvenile detention experience is a meaningful opportunity for youth in serious trouble. Appended list of reports