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1996 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 38
Requesting the Department of Youth and Family Services to report on the development of its statewide plan for services for delinquent youth pursuant to § 16.1-309.4 of the Code of Virginia, including an assessment of the need for additional shelters for runaways.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 4, 1996
Agreed to by the Senate, February 29, 1996

WHEREAS, the state share of funding for community-based services for CHINS, CHINSup, and status offenders has decreased while the need has increased; and

WHEREAS, the recidivism rates for the non-delinquent population suggest that the severity of crime for this population increases with each subsequent contact with the juvenile justice system; and

WHEREAS, there is currently insufficient shelter care bed space available for runaway and homeless youth across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, there are juveniles who are flight risks and refuse to remain in facilities long enough to receive the necessary treatment services, yet the current overcrowding in secure detention makes it impractical to house these low public safety risk juveniles in secure confinement; and

WHEREAS, many juveniles who come before the court also suffer from mental illness; and

WHEREAS, the majority of juvenile justice professionals acknowledge the need for a facility which is able to serve the mentally ill juvenile offender; and

WHEREAS, the need for interagency planning to serve the multi-agency needs of these juveniles continues; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Youth and Family Services was established in 1989 as the juvenile correctional agency with service and planning responsibilities for the entire juvenile justice population; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Department of Youth and Family Services be requested to report on the development of its statewide plan for services for delinquent youth pursuant to § 16.1-309.4 of the Code of Virginia, including an assessment of the need for additional shelters for runaways. The Department, in cooperation with the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, the State Executive Council of the Comprehensive Services Act and local community services boards, shall also assess the need for mental health services for juveniles before the juvenile and domestic relations court, including the provision of mental health services to court-involved youth by the community services boards and the feasibility of establishing local multi-use facilities to serve mentally ill juvenile offenders.

The Department of Youth and Family Services shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1997 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.