RD178 - Juvenile Community Crime Control Act Report - October 1, 2011


Executive Summary:
This report is submitted in fulfillment of Item 399 of the Appropriations Act of 2011, requesting the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice to report on the types of programs supported by the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act and the outcomes of juveniles who participate in these programs.

In 1995, the General Assembly enacted the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA) to insure that all localities were able to implement programs and services to meet the needs of juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system. VJCCCA supports a wide array of programs, with the majority of those services primarily aimed at the protection of public safety or building competencies to assist juveniles to desist from future offending and further involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Over the past three years, approximately 12,000 juveniles per year have received services funded through VJCCCA.

The outcome measures for VJCCCA programs include successful completion and recidivism. Significant outcomes include a successful program completion rate of 85% in FY 2010, reflecting a consistent pattern of improvement over the past three years. Slightly over one-third of the juveniles participating in VJCCCA are arrested for a new offense in the 12 months following program enrollment. While this rate has been trending downward over the past several years, DJJ continues to work with the localities that plan and operate the VJCCCA programs to achieve improved outcomes through careful self-examination, emphasis on adoption of evidence-based programs with known effectiveness, and administrative requirements to improve and/or replace programs with “high” recidivism rates.