Attached is a report outlining the activities of the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and Virginia law-enforcement agencies related to the development of the Marcus Alert system as well as plans for the measurement of progress toward statutory goals for law-enforcement participation in that system (Va. Code § 9.1-193(C)). Included with the report are two appendices: the state plan for the Marcus Alert system published by DCJS and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in July 2021 (Appendix A) and the section of the Code of Virginia detailing the responsibilities of DCJS related to Marcus Alert implementation via law enforcement (Appendix B).

This report was required under Va. Code § 9.1-193(C)) as established by House Bill 5043 and Senate Bill 5038 in the 2020 Special Session I of the Virginia General Assembly. The report details the participation of DCJS and Virginia law-enforcement agencies in the Marcus Alert state panel; describes DCJS implementation of its Marcus Alert-related responsibilities through the creation of a Marcus Alert coordinator position; outlines specific programmatic and strategic goals for the Marcus Alert coordinator’s first year; categorizes the goals for law-enforcement participation in the Marcus Alert system set forth in subsection E of Va. Code § 9.1-193; details planned actions related to measuring systemic outcomes and process indicators for the Marcus Alert system, including those specific to law enforcement; and lists indicators of services to be provided to the field by the Marcus Alert coordinator and DCJS Division of Law Enforcement that will be tracked for the purposes of program evaluation and continuous improvement.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Dallas Leamon, Marcus Alert Coordinator, at (804) 517-8334 or via email (Dallas.Leamon@dcjs.virginia.gov).

Sincerely,

/s/ Shannon Dion
Director
Department of Criminal Justice Services