NCJ Number
91184
Date Published
1983
Length
252 pages
Annotation
Alternative programs to jail and secure detention for Virginia's juvenile population are available but underutilized. All forms of secure custody for juveniles continue to be used inappropriately.
Abstract
Statistics on juvenile arrests and crime; offenses of children in secure custody; and the use of secure detention, jails, and less secure detention reveal that only 16.2 percent of the juveniles detained in Virginia's jails in 1982 were held for alleged or adjudicated offenses against persons. Moreover, in 1980, Virginia ranked sixth in the Nation in the number of juveniles jailed. The Virginia Department of Corrections has no centralized systematic reporting or records of suicides and assaults in jails, although studies have found a high suicide rate for jailed juveniles and considerable sexual, physical, and psychological victimization. The legal rights of juveniles in jail are examined, using cases heard by the Federal courts and the Supreme Court. Also discussed are criteria for decisionmaking in the juvenile justice system proposed by national organizations; alternative program models to secure custody for juveniles; and specific programs available in Virginia, such as crisis intervention centers, less secure facilities, outreach detention, and emergency foster care. The report includes recommendations for eliminating the inappropriate use of adult jails for juveniles; references; tables; an assessment of the National Advisory Committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's detention criteria; and the questionnaire sent to juvenile court judges, intake officers, and sheriffs in Virginia.