City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 5, 2023
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER /s/
FROM: MIKE MACKEY, COURT SERVICE UNIT
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Resolution Endorsing Participation in the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act, as Required by the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.[ROLL-CALL VOTE]
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ISSUE: Consideration of Council Resolution endorsing participation in the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA), as required by the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), to provide alternatives to secure detention of youth.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
(1) Approve resolution endorsing Alexandria's participation in VJCCCA as required by DJJ; and
(2) Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: In 1993, the General Assembly received a number of requests to fund the construction of secure detention facilities for the pre-dispositional placement of juveniles. Because of this, legislators requested that the Commission on Youth study issues of access to alternative, non-secure pre-dispositional placements for juveniles. The study concluded that there were few non-secure pre-dispositional options available throughout the Commonwealth.
Simultaneously, Virginia was undergoing a reform of the statutes pertaining to the juvenile justice system. With increased emphasis on accountability and more severe sanctioning, many saw the need to intervene early in the lives of juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system in order to prevent their further offending and deeper involvement in the system. Few programs and services existed however, to provide such interventions.
In 1995, the General Assembly enacted the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act that restructured funding for lo...
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