By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – A Virginia lawmaker has prefiled a bill that would reopen discussion over whether Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice should be moved under a different part of government.
Senate Bill 21, introduced by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, directs the offices of the Secretaries of Public Safety and Homeland Security and Health and Human Resources to convene a work group to create a plan and recommend a timeline for transferring responsibility for the DJJ.
The bill requires a plan and timeline for transferring DJJ from the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, but does not itself move the agency.
The work group must include representatives from civil liberties organizations, groups engaged in youth justice and violence prevention, formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, and mental health experts.
The group would be required to submit its plan and recommended timeline to four House and Senate committees by Nov. 1, 2026.
A June report from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission examined a potential transfer of the Department of Juvenile Justice and found that such a move would not necessarily improve outcomes for youth.
The DJJ said earlier this month that the Office of the State Inspector General’s review of Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center included findings related to documentation and resource issues.
DJJ said the facility houses about 180 residents with an average age of 17, and that most residents are 18 or older. The agency said about 78% of residents were committed for crimes against a person, including roughly 15% for homicide.