NCJ Number
202106
Date Published
October 2002
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This document provides the 2001 annual report of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Committee in Virginia.
Abstract
The Committee is responsible for reviewing the operation of the juvenile justice system, recommending needs and priorities for the development and improvement of the juvenile justice system, and advising the Governor on matters related to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act. Virginia participates in three grant programs under the JJDP Act: Title II Formula Grants, Title V Prevention Grants, and Title II Challenge Grants. The JJDP Advisory Committee reviews and comments on each of the Title II and Title V grant applications; makes funding recommendations to the Criminal Justice Services Board; and approves the priority areas for use of the Challenge Grant funds. Recent trends in the juvenile justice system show changes in several areas: very young offenders, truants, and confinement of juveniles. The number of very young offenders--children aged 14 and under--has increased dramatically. A legislative change designed to address chronic truancy resulted in an increase in the numbers of children brought to intake for truancy. The past 15 years show an increase in the number of children confined in secure detention facilities for technical violations such as probation violations. States are required to comply with four core requirements of the JJDP Act: deinstitutionalization of status offenders, sight and sound separation of juvenile and adult offenders, removal of juveniles from adult jails and lockups, and reduction of minority over-representation in the juvenile justice system. The requirements have been addressed in Virginia by creating a system of record-keeping and on-site inspection that ensures that all juvenile facilities are continuously monitored and receive on-site inspection at least annually. The Committee developed a policy that limits eligibility for regular Title II grant funding for any locality that has demonstrated an unjustifiable pattern of compliance violations. Annual training regarding the JJDP Act is provided to juvenile justice system professionals, such as judges, detention home superintendents, and police.