Legislative Briefing Draft
December 24, 2003 To: Ad Hoc Committee on VJCCCA From: John C. Matish Re: Draft Briefing Paper on VJCCCA As a result of the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act, local governments working with the juvenile court services units in their localities were able to develop a system of interventions uniquely suited to the needs of each community of the Commonwealth. Faced with an unprecedented budget deficit in 2002 the General Assembly was forced to reduce the state appropriation for community based juvenile justice interventions by 51% (From $29,650,756 to $14,500,000.) While the number of juvenile offenders and their families who could be served in these programs has dropped dramatically, the services have continued to be viable alternatives to secure detention placement and to juvenile correction center placement, both of which require even larger state expenditures.- In 2002 the Department of Juvenile Justice’s statistics indicate that during the period 1996 through 2001 commitments to state institutions dropped 27%. This decline in admissions to state institutions continues thru 2003. Each time a juvenile is placed in an alternative local placement, the state saves $71,618 which would have been spent to house him or her in a state institution.
- Again in 2002 the Department reported that the average daily population of secure detention facilities had fallen from 149% of capacity in 1996 to 98% in 2001. While the increase in detention capacity contributed to this decline, it is clear that the availability of alternatives to detention caused the actual population to grow much more slowly than had been forecast when the expansions were planned. The decline in detention utilization has also continued through 2003.
- During the 2002 session of the General Assembly, the members expressed their belief that the use of secured detention should be reserved for those juveniles who present a clear and present danger to themselves and others (HB 1000 sponsored by Delegate Robert McDonnell.) If the Detention Assessment Instrument (which was developed pursuant to this legislation) is to be used effectively, it is necessary that local alternatives to detention be available. The VJCCCA Annual Reports for 2002 and 2003 indicate that 86% of the children who were placed in VJCCCA programs were detention eligible. And, between January and December of 2003, 31% of the Detention Assessments which were performed indicated that the proper intervention with the juvenile would be a (less expensive) detention alternative.
- It is neither practical nor fair to believe that the localities will be able to shoulder any more of the burden of providing these services. In the 2002 Annual Report, D.J.J. reported that $43,382,982 was spent on VJCCCA programs. 68% of that was State funding and 32% was provided by localities. After the reductions the total had shrunk to $26,038,971 and the proportions of funding had changed to 54% state funding and 46% local funding. It is a tribute to the ingenuity of local governments that the program did not degrade even further. Like the General Assembly, they shifted expenses, sought short term funding and depleted fund balances to keep these valuable programs operational. But, also like the General Assembly, they have run out of these “one time fixes” and are now facing some very difficult decisions.