• About Us
• Community Programs
• Residential Programs
• Initiatives
• Resources

News Page Last Update: 09-10-09

The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Ombudsman Program began in 2002 as part of the Office of the Inspector General. It is staffed by an ombudsman located in Central Office and grievance coordinators in each of the Department’s seven juvenile correctional centers. The ombudsman (along with the Department’s Public Relations Officer) is available to provide information to families, professionals, youth and the general public and answer questions or address concerns about the conditions of confinement in the Department’s juvenile correctional centers.

The purpose of the Ombudsman Program is to help protect the rights of committed youth by monitoring the overall living conditions within the juvenile correctional centers. The program serves as an “early warning system” so that problems can be addressed before they become systemic. Any parent, resident or private citizen may contact the Ombudsman Program to express concerns or ask questions. A brochure explaining the program is sent home to the parents or guardians of each youth committed to the Department. In addition, the program maintains a toll free number available to parents and the general public.

The program’s components combine to create a strong system of advocacy for the residents. The components of the program include its staff members, the grievance procedure and Youth Advisory Committees.

Staffing

Ombudsman

The ombudsman visits all juvenile correctional centers and maintains relationships with the administrative staff, counselors, therapists, medical staff, food service staff, and correctional officers in each juvenile correctional center. The ombudsman talks with residents and attends Youth Advisory Committee meetings at all facilities.

The ombudsman may investigate any problem that is identified during a juvenile correctional center visit or brought to her attention by a parent, resident, family member or private citizen. When studying a problem, the ombudsman looks at juvenile correctional center practice as it relates to DJJ’s policies and procedures. After the study is complete, the ombudsman’s focus is on negotiating solutions and remedies for identified concerns.

The primary focus for the ombudsman is on how a problem impacts the system as a whole. The ombudsman is not authorized to make, change, or set aside a policy or administrative decision, or to require that changes be made, but rather expedites and facilitates the resolution of a complaint and recommends individual and systemic changes when appropriate. When a systemic change is needed, the ombudsman presents a summary of the problem, along with possible remedies, to the key department leaders who can make the needed changes.

Parents, residents, family members and the public may reach the Ombudsman Program by calling 804-380-7103, or toll-free 866-721-6924. The ombudsman may also be reached at Susan.Heck@djj.virginia.gov.

Grievance Coordinators

A grievance coordinator (GC) is assigned to each juvenile correctional center to advocate on behalf of residents and to manage the grievance procedure process. The GC maintains regular communication with the facility’s administration and the agency ombudsman.

The GC in each juvenile correctional center collects and logs grievances, investigates the grievances and meets with residents to discuss remedies and solutions. The GC reports monthly to the superintendent and the ombudsman on the number of grievances filed, what they were about, how many were founded or unfounded, and descriptions of remedies.

The Grievance Procedure

The Grievance Procedure is the tool given to incarcerated youth to alert a juvenile correctional center’s administration when there is a misinterpretation or misapplication of a department or institutional policy or procedure. It provides a formal process to deal with residents’ concerns and grievances, and the grievance coordinator in each juvenile correctional center manages this part of the program.

The grievance coordinators give orientations on the use of the Grievance Procedure to all residents upon their arrival at the juvenile correctional centers. The orientation includes viewing an informational video on using the grievance procedure and information that is specific to the individual facility (where grievance boxes are located, etc.).

Residents submit grievances on standardized forms which are then placed in locked boxes located in living units and in other easily accessible locations. Only the grievance coordinator and the superintendent have grievance box keys, so the contents of grievances are private. The grievance coordinator collects and classifies the grievances and either looks into the presented issues personally or forwards them to the unit or staff responsible for the indicated issues. The grievances are investigated and written responses are returned to the grievance coordinator. The grievance coordinator determines whether the grievances are founded or unfounded; founded grievances are sent to the appropriate departments or staff for remedies. The grievance coordinator meets with residents to discuss the findings on their grievances and any suggested remedies.

Youth Advisory Committee

Each facility has a Youth Advisory Committee which meets monthly. These meetings provide an opportunity for youth to have input into the workings of the juvenile correctional center and the various issues that impact their lives while there. Youth representatives are selected from each living unit. Before each meeting of the Youth Advisory Committee, youth representatives and living unit managers meet to submit items for the meeting agenda.

Youth Advisory Committee meetings are attended by representatives from the administrative staff, the school, food service, health care, recreation, the counseling staff, the behavioral services unit, maintenance and youth representatives. The grievance coordinator facilitates the meeting and issues presented by each living unit representative are discussed. The grievance coordinator also follows up on any issues which are unresolved at the end of the meeting.