This report provides an overview of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), highlighting fiscal year (FY) 2017 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, FY 2016-2017

• Intake complaints decreased 2.8% from 199,057 to 193,402.
* Domestic Relations and Child Welfare (DR/CW) intake complaints decreased 2.3% from 142,257 to 138,981.
* Juvenile intake complaints decreased 4.2% from 56,800 to 54,421.
• VJCCCA placements decreased 10.7% from 13,143 to 11,736.
• JDC detainments decreased 8.6% from 8,396 to 7,677.
• JDC average daily population (ADP) remained stable from 643 to 644.
• Direct care admissions increased 4.1% from 319 to 332.
• Direct care ADP decreased 16.7% from 406 to 338.

Juvenile Characteristics, FY 2017

• The average ages of juveniles were as follows:
* Juvenile intake cases – 15.9
* Detainments – 16.3
* Direct care admissions – 17.0
* Direct care releases – 17.8

• 80.8% of juvenile intake complaints were diversion-eligible. 24.1% of juvenile intake complaints were resolved, unfounded, or diverted as the initial intake decision.
* Of the 7,217 juvenile intake complaints with a diversion plan, 76.1% had successful outcomes.

• 17.6% of all juvenile intake cases were for felony offenses, 39.1% of all new probation cases were for felony offenses, and 85.5% of all commitments were for felony offenses.
* 48.2% 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:
* 89.8% appeared to have significant symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Substance Abuse Disorder, or Substance Dependence Disorder; 63.6% appeared to have significant symptoms of other mental health disorders.
* 92.2% had an aggression management treatment need.
* 81.3% had a substance abuse treatment need.
* 9.6% had a sex offender treatment need

Length of Stay (LOS) Averages, FY 2017

Average LOSs were as follows:

• JDC releases
• Pre-dispositional – 24.3 days
• Post-dispositional without programs – 14.4 days
• Post-dispositional with programs – 138.3 days
• Probation releases – 11.8 months
• Parole releases – 9.2 months
• Direct care releases – 14.2 months

Forecast, FY 2018-2023

• The JDC forecast projects that the ADP will decline by an average of 2.0% annually over the next six FYs, reaching an ADP of 568 in FY 2023.
• The direct care forecast projects that the ADP will decrease through FY 2019 to 311 and then increase to 333 in FY 2023.

Reconviction Rates for FY 2012-2015, Tracked through FY 2017

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

• Probation placements: 23.0-26.5%.
• Direct care releases: 41.6-44.2%.
• Parole placements: 46.9-53.1%.

Expenditures, FY 2017

• DJJ expended a total of $210,027,158.
• DJJ’s direct care per capita cost was $214,207.