RD62 - Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice Data Resource Guide Fiscal Year 2015


Executive Summary:
This report provides an overview of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), highlighting fiscal year (FY) 2015 data and trends in all program and service areas, including court service units (CSUs), Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA) programs, juvenile detention centers (JDCs), and direct care programs. A summary of DJJ’s juvenile population forecast, a recidivism analysis, and a breakdown of DJJ’s expenditures and staffing levels are also included. DJJ is hopeful that this report will be useful to both state and local policymakers and juvenile justice stakeholders. The following data highlights are presented in the report:

Trends from FY 2014 to FY 2015

• Intake complaints decreased 2.3% from 198,863 to 194,329.
* Domestic Relations and Child Welfare intake complaints decreased 2.4% from 140,232 to 136,870.
* Juvenile intake complaints decreased 2.0% from 58,631 to 57,459.
• VJCCCA placements decreased 1.5% from 14,548 to 14,334.
• JDC detainments decreased 8.9% from 10,036 to 9,141.
• JDC average daily population (ADP) decreased 3.5% from 735 to 709.
• Direct care admissions increased 4.6% from 367 to 384.
• Direct care ADP decreased 15.0% from 599 to 509.

Juvenile Characteristics in FY 2015

• The average ages of juveniles were as follows:
* Juvenile Intake Cases – 15.9
* Detainments – 16.2
* Direct Care Admissions – 16.8
* Direct Care Releases – 18.1
• 80.2% of juvenile intake complaints were diversion-eligible; 19.0% of juvenile intake complaints were resolved or diverted without a petition being filed.
* Of the 7,482 juvenile intake complaints diverted, 77.5% were successful.
• 15.4% of all juvenile intake cases were for felony offenses, 33.5% of all new probation cases were for felony offenses, and 84.9% of all commitments were for felony offenses.
* 52.4% of all juveniles admitted to direct care had a felony against person as their most serious offense.
• The majority of direct care admissions had a mental health or treatment need:
* 84.4% appeared to have significant symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Substance Abuse Disorder, or Substance Dependence Disorder; 64.3% appeared to have significant symptoms of other mental health disorders.
* 53.1% had a mental health treatment need.
* 92.7% had an aggression management treatment need.
* 83.3% had a substance abuse treatment need.
* 12.5% had a sex offender treatment need.

Length of Stay (LOS) Averages in FY 2015

Average LOSs were as follows:

• JDC Releases
* Pre-Dispositional – 23.6 days
* Post-Dispositional without Programs – 13.3 days
* Post-Dispositional with Programs – 141.1 days (4.6 months)
• Probation Releases – 12.2 months
• Parole Releases – 9.4 months
• Direct Care Releases – 16.5 months

Forecast through FY 2021

• The JDC forecast projects that the ADP will decline over the next six FYs by an average of 7.8% annually, reaching an ADP of 436 in FY 2021.
• The direct care forecast projects that the ADP will decrease through FY 2019 to 295 and then increase slightly to 302 in FY 2021.

Reconviction Rates for FY 2010-2013, Tracked through FY 2015

The 12-month reconviction rates fluctuated within the following ranges:

• Probation Placements: 23.7-27.7%.
• Direct Care Releases: 42.3-44.0%.
• Parole Placements: 47.6-52.8%.

Expenditures in FY 2015

• DJJ expended a total of $198,642,588.
• DJJ’s direct care per capita cost was $142,491.