U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

High Risk Juvenile Offender Comprehensive Reentry Program for Virginia Youth

Award Information

Award #
2010-CZ-BX-0073
Location
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2010
Total funding (to date)
$1,350,000

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2010, $675,000)

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. There are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. There are approximately 94,000 youth in residential confinement within the juvenile justice system on any given day. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is safe and successful.

The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) will serve parolees up to the age of 21 who are considered at high risk for reoffending. The target population will be approximately 120 high risk parolees from multiple localities in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia including the cities of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton, and the counties of Southampton and Isle of Wight. In 2009, these jurisdictions accounted for 213 new commitments and had a total of 231 offenders released to the community from state custody. This represented approximately 30 percent of Virginia's statewide committed population.

Virginia's reentry initiative will be a joint project between DJJ and the Tidewater Youth Services Commission (TYSC). TYSC is a regional public agency located in Portsmouth, Virginia, and the lead local juvenile services provider. TYSC will develop, provide, and coordinate delivery of a full range of services in collaboration with other key stakeholders in coordination with Tidewater Juvenile Reentry Task Force. This project will incorporate five elements into a case management system: risk assessment and classification, individualized case planning that incorporates family and community, a mix of intensive monitoring and services, links with community resources and social networks, and a balance of graduated incentives and consequences. Based on the needs of the individual parolee, additional services will be provided including the following: apartment support program, aggression replacement training, workforce readiness skills development, substance abuse treatment, individual mental health counseling, aftercare/recovery management, family interventions, and sex offender treatment services.

DJJ has a comprehensive statewide management information system, the Juvenile Tracking System (JTS), which is configured to address the performance measurement requirements for this project. The case management component of JTS includes the following information about juvenile parolees: the results of pre-release assessment of risk and needs, service delivery from pre-release through community supervision phases, tracking of contacts with the parole officer, and annual assessment of recidivism.

CA/NCF

Date Created: August 30, 2010