Juvenile Justice

League of Women Voters^®
of Virginia

Public Policy Position

JUVENILE JUSTICE
The League believes that the juvenile justice system must emphasize prevention and rehabilitation as well as those general goals of the corrections system. Prevention programs should be provided for children at an early age. Rehabilitation programs at juvenile facilities should be designed to provide treatment and training specific to the needs of each child and should include counseling, vocational training and accredited academic programs.
The League supports:

Community delinquency prevention programs;
Adequately staffed and structured alternative education programs or community service for all juveniles who have been expelled or suspended from school or paroled from correctional facilities;
Mental health and substance abuse programs (in and out patient) oriented to the special needs of
juveniles for those identified as needing services. They should include early assessment, evaluation, treatment and follow-up by qualified personnel;
A variety of pre-and post-dispositional community-based services as mandated by the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act;
Establishment of small group homes; and
Removal of juveniles from jails.

The cost of prevention, treatment and other programs for juveniles should be shared by the state and local governments under a formula which takes into account a variety of factors regarding a locality's financial capability, juvenile or overall population and nature of juvenile justice problems. The Department of Juvenile Justice should continue as a separate department and have sufficient funding to ensure varied programs of high quality. (1974,1978, & 1997)

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