Authority: §§ 66-3 and 66-13, Code of Virginia.
A. A joint subcommittee composed of members of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees shall review the current and projected juvenile offender populations and the feasibility of establishing caps on the population of juvenile correctional facilities at Bon Air and Beaumont. The joint subcommittee shall consider the costs and benefits of closing older housing units at these facilities and replacing the necessary bed capacity with new construction, private placements, or other alternatives to incarceration, consistent with the need to reduce overcrowding, assure institutional security and public safety, and minimize the adverse affects of increasing populations on the surrounding communities. The joint subcommittee shall report its findings and recommendations not later than December 20, 1997.
B. The Department of Juvenile Justice shall solicit proposals for the private site selection, construction, financing, maintenance, and operation of a 225-bed medium or maximum security juvenile correctional facility. The department shall present a pre-planning study to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees by September 1, 1996.
C. The Department of Information Technology, the Council on Information Management, and the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission shall provide assistance as needed and shall assure that the information concerning juveniles required for Virginia's new adult felony sentencing guidelines will be provided by the statewide intake system being implemented by the Department of Juvenile Justice in the juvenile court services units. A report on the development of this system shall be provided jointly by these four agencies to the Governor and the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees by December 15, 1996.
D. The Department of Juvenile Justice is authorized to enter into an agreement with the federal government for the purpose of effecting a land exchange in order to obtain clear and unencumbered title to the Natural Bridge Learning Center property near Natural Bridge Station, Virginia. At least 30 days prior to final approval of such agreement, the Director shall notify in writing the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees.
E. The Board of Juvenile Justice shall develop a comprehensive long range youth services policy in compliance with §66-10.2, Code of Virginia. A progress report on the development of this policy shall be presented to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by June 30, 1997, with a final report presented by June 30, 1998.
F. The Department of Juvenile Justice shall assess the capabilities of its rehabilitation programs and therapists to effectively meet the changing treatment needs of the juvenile population. The Department shall present its findings to the General Assembly by October 15, 1997.