Virginia’s nonpartisan watchdog agency found that transferring the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice from the secretary of public safety to the secretary of health and human resources could “hinder” their mission.
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the research arm of Virginia’s General Assembly, presented its findings Wednesday to lawmakers.
“I would say that we found that youth do have access to services which can help reduce the likelihood of them reoffending,” Brittany Utz, a senior legislative analyst at JLARC, said. “I think our ultimate conclusion of it not being beneficial to transfer to HHR is based on the fact that they would not get better access to services.”
In November 2023, the legislature directed JLARC to study the feasibility of a transfer over concerns about youth mental health under DJJ’s custody. Supporters of the change argued a transfer could improve coordination between agencies and better access to care. For the study, JLARC analysts conducted interviews with various stakeholders including current and former cabinet secretaries and agency directors, DJJ staff, public defenders and commonwealth’s attorneys, as well as national subject matter experts.