Authority: §§ 16.1-278.8, 16.1-285.1, 66-13, 66-16, 66-18, 66-19, 66-22 and 66-25.1, Code of Virginia.
A. The Department of Juvenile Justice shall retain all funds paid for the support of children committed to the department to be used for the security, care, and treatment of said children.
B.1. The Director, Department of Juvenile Justice, (the “Department”) shall develop a transformation plan to provide more effective and efficient services for juveniles, using data-based decision-making, that improves outcomes and safely reduces the number of juveniles housed in state-operated juvenile correctional centers, consistent with public safety. To accomplish these objectives, the Department will provide, when appropriate, alternative placements and services for juveniles committed to the Department that offer treatment, supervision and programs that meet the levels of risk and need, as identified by the Department's risk and needs assessment instruments, for each juvenile placed in such placements or programs. Prior to implementation, the plan shall be approved by the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
2. The Department shall reallocate any savings from the reduced cost of operating state juvenile correctional centers to support the goals of the transformation plan including, but not limited to: (a) increasing the number of male and female local placement options, and post-dispositional treatment programs and services; (b) ensuring that appropriate placements and treatment programs are available across all regions of the Commonwealth; and (c) providing appropriate levels of educational, career readiness, rehabilitative, and mental health services for these juveniles in state, regional, or local programs and facilities, including but not limited to, community placement programs, independent living programs, and group homes. The goals of such transformation services shall be to reduce the risks for reoffending for juveniles supervised or committed to the Department and to improve and promote the skills and resiliencies necessary for the juveniles to lead successful lives in their communities.
3. No later than November 1 of each year, the Department of Juvenile Justice shall provide a report to the Governor, the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, assessing the impact and results of the transformation plan and its related actions. The report shall include, but is not limited to, assessing juvenile offender recidivism rates, fiscal and operational impact on detention homes; changes (if any) in commitment orders by the courts; and use of the savings redirected as a result of transformation, including the amount expended for contracted programs and treatment services, including the number of juveniles receiving each specific service. The report should also include the average length of stay for juveniles in each placement option.
4. The Director, Department of Planning and Budget, is authorized to transfer appropriations between items and programs within the Department of Juvenile Justice to reallocate any savings achieved through transformation to accomplish the goals of transformation.
5. If the Department of Juvenile Justice deems it necessary, due to facility population decline, efficient use of resources, and the need to further reduce recidivism, to close a state juvenile correctional center, the Department shall (i) work cooperatively with the affected localities to minimize the effect of the closure on those communities and their residents, and (ii) implement a general closure plan, preferably not less than 12 months from announcement of the closure, to create opportunities to place affected state employees in existing departmental vacancies, assist affected employees with placement in other state agencies, create training opportunities for affected employees to increase their qualifications for additional positions, and safely reduce the population of the facility facing closure, consistent with public safety.