July 21, 2017 – Apartment Living Program Also Provides Intensive Life Skills Course
June 22, 2017 – Resident Earns First Ever Off-Campus Trip To Hone Social Skills
May 30, 2017 – Regional Service Coordinators Lining Up Providers Throughout Commonwealth
April 24, 2017 – Youngest Programs Already Making Positive Inroads
April 13, 2017 – Five Juvenile Justice Agencies Get Firsthand Look At Our Progress Toward Transformation
August 18, 2017 – DJJ’s IT Unit Creates New App That Allows Access In The Field
May 8, 2017 – Every Unit To Receive More Staff; New Isolation Policy Coming Soon
December 5. 2016 – DJJ Training Academy Now Providing Leadership Development Program
June 28, 2016 – Special Recognition Edition
April 20, 2016 – New Emphasis Placed On Making Key Information For DJJ Families Easy To Find
June 2017 – Evidence-Based Principle 2: Enhance Intrinsic Motivation
April 2017 – Evidence-Based Principle 1: Assessing Actuarial Risk
February 2017 – Eight Evidence-Based Principles Will Increase CSU Success Stories
October 2016 – Justice Transformation Institute Teaching DJJ the Leadership Of Change
September 2016 – New Tools To Help Us Work In Tandem
September 6, 2017 – Stoking The Flame Of Learning
July 17, 2017 – Goal 5: Ensure Compliance In Educational Programs
June 1, 2017 – Goal 4: Implement Data Analysis Systems
April 20, 2017 – Goal 3: Communicating With Stakeholders
March 24, 2017 – Providing Quality Instructional Practices
August 21, 2017 – Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center Psychologist Sasha Baier provided some residents a rare opportunity on the occasion of Monday's solar eclipse to view it and talk about it as it was happening. Baier went online with the residents to look for methods for viewing the eclipse. They decided to make a solar eclipse viewing box, an idea that Galileo originated when he was proving that the sun rotated by observing the motion of sunspots by images projected onto paper through a pinhole. Baier and the residents created a pinhole projector and took it outside where the image of the eclipse was projected onto a sheet of white paper inside the box. They were also able to compare the image from the box with an image that was being shown online in Richmond. Residents were thrilled to be a part of what for some could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and for a moment to view the world in a different way.
August 18, 2017 – Family and friends gathered Aug. 18 at the Virginia Public Safety Training Center (VPSTC) to congratulate the newest class of 22 Resident Specialist Is, who received their certificates of completion after an intensive eight-week course. Keynote speaker Phillip Lynch, a residential counselor at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, and DJJ Director Andy Block provided some inspiring words for the graduates.
July 21, 2017 – For the fourth consecutive year, DJJ’s Education Unit partnered with VCU Athletics to bring a rigorous basketball camp to residents at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center. Education staff collaborated with Bon Air community managers and coordinators to offer the three-hour camp to those in each unit who wanted to attend and had exhibited the highest levels of positive behavior. Students not only improved their court skills, but most importantly, engaged with the outstanding VCU coach mentors Brandon Rozzell and Lamonte Theus. Rozzell is a former VCU Ram basketball standout and 2011 VCU Department of Social Work graduate. Theus is assistant basketball coach at Lee Davis High School in Hanover County. The students participated in warmup exercises, practiced specific skills with drill work, and ended each session with a short game. The VCU mentors emphasized cooperation and sportsmanship in all they did. They spent time talking with the students, encouraging them in their on and off the court endeavors. The collaborative, departmental efforts made this a most successful event for our residents.
Former VCU player Brandon Rozzell works with residents on ball handling skills.
Lamonte Theus attempts a dunk during warmup exercises.
January 25, 2017 – DJJ Director Andy Block recently was a guest on Reston Comcast Channel 28’s “Virginia Report” television program hosted by Del. Ken Plum of Virginia’s 36th District. Director Block appeared along with Dan Edwards, president of Evidence Based Associates (EBA), to talk with Del. Plum about the continuum of services DJJ is building for youth throughout the Commonwealth. EBA is one of two service coordination agencies that are helping DJJ ensure that youths get the services they need, regardless of where they might live.
Click HERE to see interview.
November 22, 2016 – Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center residents enrolled in the Culinary Arts program planned and prepared a Thanksgiving meal that culminated with the residents and staff enjoying the fruits of their labors. The meal was a Project-Based Learning (PBL) activity in which each dish prepared was a separate lesson in which several skills were taught. Workplace skills included demonstrating creativity, job-specific math skills, problem solving, time management, proper food storage and handling, menu planning, dining service, weight, measure, recipe reading, teamwork, and customer service skills. Culinary skills included pasta, sauce making, yeast bread, roasting poultry, dessert preparation, and food presentation.
