The Virginia Commission on Youth held its final meeting of the year on October 19, advancing recommendations from its studies on the effectiveness and efficiency of Virginia’s juvenile detention centers and the transition process for students with disabilities reaching the age of majority.
At its September 21 meeting, the Commission circulated a set of draft recommendations from its study of juvenile detention centers, including the following proposals of particular interest to local governments:
- Directing or requesting the Department of Juvenile Justice to implement a process to identify specific juvenile detention centers to be defunded and consolidated to align facility capacity with regional needs.
- Requesting the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of Education, to develop a reinvestment plan to meet the needs of public safety and education for juvenile detention centers, taking into consideration ways to reinvest savings from facility consolidation in places or programs for youth who are in or at risk of becoming part of the juvenile justice system.
- Providing additional resources for the added transportation time and expenses that may be imposed on law enforcement offices as a result of consolidating juvenile detention centers. Options proposed include providing additional funding to reimburse sheriffs for transportation costs and creating a state-administered fund for off-duty or retired sheriffs and law enforcement officers to provide transportation for juveniles on an as-needed basis.
- Several recommendations would direct the state to work with detention centers to repurpose unused capacity on a voluntary basis, to include assistance with potential grant opportunities and streamlining of regulations for licensing of co-located facilities by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and/or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS).
- Requiring the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, in coordination with the Department of Education and representatives from community services boards (CSBs) and local education agencies, to develop and disseminate best practice standards to CSBs and local education agencies about how to work with local education agencies, private placement entities, students, and families through the transition process, to include information about what special education, service, or accommodation records to transfer at the age of majority and/or high school completion.
- Directing the improved dissemination of online resources to individuals of transition age and their families, and requesting the development and dissemination of virtual training for teachers on transition resources and services.
- Requesting that the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) continue to develop internship opportunities for students with disabilities, working with state agencies, local governments, business organizations, and other stakeholders.
- Requesting that the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, Secretary of Labor, and Secretary of Commerce and Trade, investigate the feasibility of developing a comprehensive program to reduce unemployment among adults with disabilities.
- Funding a transition coordinator grant program to be administered through the Virginia Department of Education. Transition coordinators would be employed by local school divisions and work with other community partners to assist students with disabilities and their families in preparing for future service needs and employment opportunities.