NCJ Number
140208
Date Published
1990
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This study of Virginia's Youthful Offender Act found that conflicting code sections restrict the ability of the Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC) to place youthful offenders in appropriate facilities, that no statistics are available to measure youthful offender program effectiveness in terms of reducing recidivism, and that the Act does not clearly identify how to handle youth who are subsequently removed for intractable behavior or who receive a second conviction with a determinate sentence.
Abstract
In evaluating the youthful offender program mandated by the Act, consideration was given to diagnostic testing for entry into the program, place of confinement, facilities for females, resentencing of ineligible inmates, and removal from the program. Applicable law governing the youthful offender program was reviewed, and information was obtained from the DOC and the Virginia Parole Board. It was found that DOC and Parole Board joint review and postsentence testing and diagnosis are effective as a jointly conducted single process. In addition, discretionary presentence testing and mandatory postsentence testing can be accomplished effectively with a single testing period prior to sentencing. Current practices, however, potentially deny ineligible offenders appropriate parole review, and there is no mechanism in the Act to accommodate a youthful offender who commits a second offense. Recommendations to improve Virginia's youthful offender program are offered. Supplemental information on youthful offenders and provisions of the Youthful Offender Act are appended.