The Department of Juvenile Justice has published the Data Resource Guide annually since 2001 to fulfill General Assembly reporting mandates. While there are many similarities between the current DRG and previous editions, changes have been implemented to report the data more accurately and more closely align what is published with DJJ’s changing operational and data needs. Some revisions and data clarifications are described below:

• Any changes to the data after the download date are not reflected in this report.

• Counts, percentages, and ADPs may not add to totals or 100% due to rounding. Decimal values are used in percentage calculations.

• Rounded percentages less than 0.1% are presented as 0.0%.

• Expunged cases are included unless otherwise specified.

• Adult intake, probation, and parole cases are excluded from all data.

• Not applicable or not available (N/A) is used in tables throughout this report to indicate instances where data cannot be calculated (i.e., sample sizes of zero, offense definitions and classifications, absence of post-D programs, and pending cases in the recidivism sample).

• Ethnicity is reported as “Hispanic," “Non-Hispanic," or “Unknown/Missing." A substantial percentage of youth have unknown or missing ethnicity data. Effective July 1, 2019, ethnicity is a required field but may still be recorded as unknown.

• Initial decisions for juvenile intake complaints are not comparable to reports prior to FY 2019. Complaints returned to probation supervision were categorized as “Other" in reports prior to FY 2019 but are now categorized as resolved. Unfounded complaints were combined with resolved in reports prior to FY 2019 but are now a separate category. Unsuccessful diversions with petitions filed were categorized as petitions in reports prior to FY 2017 but are now categorized as diversion plans to indicate the initial intake decision.

• Unless otherwise specified, the MSO is determined by a ranking assigned to each type of complaint. Periodically, DJJ uses VCC information published by VCSC to develop the rankings. Felonies are given the highest ranks, ordered first by their statutory maximum penalty and then their highest primary offense score on VCSC’s guidelines. Next, misdemeanors are ranked by their statutory maximum penalty. Finally, the remaining complaints are ranked in the following order from most to least severe: technical violations, other offenses, non-delinquent traffic offenses, status offenses, and DR/CW complaints.

• The DAI ranking of MSOs used by DJJ is checked periodically against the VCSC designation and the Code of Virginia to ensure consistency and is updated accordingly.

• ADPs and LOSs presented for probation and parole exclude time spent by youth on a linking case status. (See Appendix F for an explanation of continuous probation and parole statuses.)

• Locality-specific CSU data are presented in summary form. More detailed locality-specific CSU data are available on DJJ’s website.

• With the exception of initial YASIs, when risk is reported, the closest risk assessment completed within 180 days before or after the measurement date (e.g., probation start date) is used unless otherwise specified.

• YASI data are not comparable to reports prior to FY 2018 due to software updates.

• Some localities utilize multiple JDCs. In the map on page 37, the localities served are determined by the highest number of detainments.

• Subsequent commitments are excluded unless otherwise specified. An offense that occurred while in direct care also may result in an adult jail or prison sentence rather than a subsequent commitment to DJJ; these sentences are not included.

• Blended sentences from circuit court are included as a commitment type in this report. Data on blended sentences represent commitments with an active adult sentence at the time of commitment.

• The categorization of commitment types (i.e., blended, determinate, indeterminate) and assigned LOSs are based on the initial commitment(s) and not subsequent commitment(s) unless otherwise specified.

• The Division of Education SY starts in September and ends in June of the following year. Credits and credentials earned in the summer are counted toward the previous SY.

• Canceled, rescinded, and successfully appealed commitments are not included, except in the direct care ADP and Division of Education data.

• Youth in non-JCC placements are not included in the Division of Education data.