Virginia bill revisits possible juvenile justice transfer

(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 g...