This report provides an overview of the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), highlighting fiscal year (FY) 2019 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 juvenile population forecasts, recidivism analyses, and expenditures and staffing levels also are 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 2018-2019
• Intake complaints decreased 3.6% from 183,138 to 176,565.
› Domestic relations and child welfare (DR/CW) intake complaints decreased 1.3% from 132,100 to 130,317.
› Juvenile intake complaints decreased 9.4% from 51,038 to 46,248.
• VJCCCA placements decreased 5.1% from 11,101 to 10,540.
• JDC detainments decreased 12.1% from 7,291 to 6,408.
• JDC average daily population (ADP) decreased 16.1% from 620 to 520.
• Direct care admissions increased 3.1% from 325 to 335.
• Direct care ADP increased 0.9% from 335 to 338.
• Juvenile correctional center (JCC) ADP decreased 6.9% from 216 to 201.
Juvenile Characteristics, FY 2019
• The average ages of juveniles were as follows:
› Juvenile intake cases – 15.8
› New probation cases – 15.6
› Detainments – 16.3
› Direct care admissions – 17.0
› Direct care releases – 18.0
• 72.8% of juvenile intake complaints were diversion-eligible. The initial intake decision was resolved or diverted for 26.6% of juvenile intake complaints.
› Of the 8,725 juvenile intake complaints with an eligible diversion plan, 79.3% had successful outcomes.
• 15.2% of all juvenile intake cases, 38.7% of all new probation cases, and 89.8% of all commitments were for felony offenses.
› 58.2% of all juveniles admitted to direct care had a felony against person as their most serious offense (MSO).
• The majority of direct care admissions had a mental health or treatment need:
› 94.9% appeared to have significant symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), or substance use disorder; 66.9% appeared to have significant symptoms of other mental health disorders.
› 95.2% had an aggression management treatment need.
› 84.2% had a substance abuse treatment need.
› 8.7% had a sex offender treatment need.
Length of Stay (LOS) Averages, FY 2019
Average LOSs were as follows:
• JDC releases
› Pre-dispositional – 24.1 days
› Post-dispositional without programs – 14.3 days
› Post-dispositional with programs – 144.6 days
• Probation releases – 12.0 months
• Parole releases – 9.8 months
• Direct care releases – 13.0 months
Forecast, FY 2020-2025
• The JDC forecast projects that the ADP will decline to 457 in FY 2020 and will remain stable through FY 2025.
• The direct care forecast projects that the ADP will increase to 350 in FY 2020 and will vary slightly between 348 and 359 through FY 2025.
Reconviction Rates for FY 2014-2017, Tracked through FY 2019
The 12-month reconviction rates fluctuated within the following ranges:
• Probation placements: 23.5-24.2%.
• Direct care releases: 40.1-44.4%.
• Parole placements: 44.9-52.0%.
Expenditures, FY 2019
• DJJ expended a total of $218,425,024.
• DJJ’s total direct care per capita cost was $187,179.
› The per capita cost for Bon Air JCC was $257,678.
› The per capita cost for community placement programs (CPPs) was $69,703.
› The per capita cost for detention reentry programs was $90,354.
› The per capita cost for contracted alternative placements was $206,089.
