RD38 - The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice Data Resource Guide Fiscal Year 2010


Executive Summary:
I am honored to write this opening letter for the first time as Director of the Department of Juvenile Justice. The statistical data gathered for this Data Resource Guide (DRG) has guided me through my first months at the Department.

The information contained within the DRG will serve as a measure of DJJ’s past success and a guide for DJJ in its new initiative for the future. Governor Robert F. McDonnell, Secretary of Public Safety Marla Decker and I are determined to find ways to best address the continuing needs of Virginia’s youth. As such, we have placed re-entry as an integral part of its mission to protect the public through a balanced approach and comprehensive services that reduce juvenile delinquency.

The Commonwealth of Virginia seeks to improve public safety as it relates to juvenile justice with diversion programs, commitment services and transition opportunities for offenders re-entering into their communities. To be successful, DJJ must gather and analyze the in-depth data contained in the DRG.

Recognizable from the DRG and other data publications, juvenile crime and juvenile commitments are decreasing. We must take every opportunity with the contents herein to identify, maintain and improve the programs that work, and identify and discontinue the programs that do not prove to be successful. Therefore, I ask that every reader of the DRG use it as a guide for the continuation of the reduction of juvenile crime and the increase of services that divert or transition youthful offenders. The DJJ staff worked diligently to compile this data and we solicit your input as to whether we are meeting your needs for information. Please take a moment to complete our online survey. There is a link to the survey on the DJJ website under Resources and then under DJJ Publications.

I would be remiss if I did not conclude this letter with several expressions of gratitude. First, I thank the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) for their role in assisting DJJ with the publishing of the DRG. Second, I thank the staff of DJJ for the work they do daily for juveniles and adults who interact in any manner with DJJ. Lastly, I thank each of you who are taking this valuable opportunity to learn about Virginia’s juvenile justice system.

With warm regards,

Helivi L. Holland