Historically, the Guidelines for Determining the Length of Stay for Juveniles Indeterminately Committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice have been adjusted every seven years: in 2001, 2008, and 2015. In 2022, DJJ not only updated the LOS Guidelines to achieve a balance of rehabilitation, skill development, and public safety, but also to address unintended outcomes of the previous guidelines.

The 2015 guidelines removed requirements, such as treatment completion, for release eligibility and cut the lengths of stay considerably, resulting in substantially shorter amounts of time committed youth could receive treatment, rehabilitation, education, and other services and a lower proportion of youth completing needed treatment while in direct care. In the years following the implementation of the 2015 guidelines, there was no evidence of a reduction in recidivism rates among the youth who reentered the community, as was the intent. Rather, the numbers showed the percentage of rearrests involving a violent felony increased for direct care releases.

In 2022, DJJ recommended revised length of stay guidelines that would better meet the vocational and treatment needs of indeterminately committed youth by ensuring full consideration of their progress, successful completion, before they are released. Following a recommendation made by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission in its 2021 report on Virginia’s Juvenile Justice System, DJJ is focusing on providing each youth, individually, what they need to be successful.

The LOS Guidelines approved by the state Board of Juvenile Justice November 9, 2022, were updated to provide adequate time for committed youth to complete vocational programs, comprehensive mental health and behavioral programming, educational requirements, and workforce development. Research has shown that stable employment, supported by vocational skills, significantly reduces recidivism, both short term and long term. Therefore, reentry programs will focus on preparing youth for successful community behavior by providing in-demand job skills and ongoing support after release.

As part of the revised LOS guidelines, a juvenile’s length of stay can be shortened by the successful completion of a vocational program, therapeutic treatment, and appropriate behavior. Youth committed under the updated guidelines will have the ability to petition for early release upon completion of their designated programming requirements.

Oftentimes, youth are committed to Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center or, when possible, to a community placement program at a locally operated juvenile detention center because previous community interventions were ineffective. DJJ is charged with providing intervention and rehabilitation for the youth in its care. Under the new LOS Guidelines, DJJ offers these young people another chance to turn their lives around and become resilient, responsible members of their communities.

Amy Floriano
Director