April 24, 2017 – Youngest Programs Already Making Positive Inroads
April 13, 2017 – Five Juvenile Justice Agencies Get Firsthand Look At Our Progress Toward Transformation
March 27, 2017 – All CSU 21 Jurisdictions Contributing To Higher Rates Of Youth Success
February 6, 2017 – “Friends Of The Court” Offer Hampton Roads Youth Tools For Success
January 23, 2017 – Local Jurisdictions Show How It’s Done Using Resources At Hand
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
January 11, 2016 – Three Levels Of Instruction Will Help Anyone Wishing To Be A Great DJJ Leader
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
April 20, 2017 – Goal 3: Communicating With Stakeholders
March 24, 2017 – Providing Quality Instructional Practices
February 6, 2017 – 5 Goals = 1 Result: Quality In The Classroom
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.
September 8, 2016 – Another first occurred for the youth and staff in DJJ’s Juvenile Correctional Center (JCCs) on Thursday, Sept. 8, when members of the Beaumont and Bon Air JCC Youth Advisory Councils, as well as staff from each facility, had an opportunity to meet with Governor Terry McAuliffe, First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, and members of the Governor’s staff. They were meeting to present their ideas about forming a resident government in the JCCs, and to learn from the Commonwealth’s leaders about the key elements of government. The Youth Advisory Councils are made up of residents from all units within the JCCs who meet with the superintendent to discuss and voice their concerns regarding their unit’s issues. The Councils are now developing a process that will provide them with the opportunity to establish a form of representative government. This student government body will help residents have a voice and ownership of their units and neighborhoods (residential areas), and give them a chance to make recommendations on campus matters to all levels of management.
At the meeting with Governor McAuliffe and his staff, the residents learned about drafting a constitution, campaign strategies, establishing voting procedures, the importance of truly representing constituents, the value of compromise, and the benefits of a democratic form of government. These residents will take the information learned at this meeting back to their facilities to help roll out a plan to establish their student government. The residents also heard from Del. Charniele Herring who told them how she had experienced homelessness as a child and how important it was for them to become advocates so that people in government understood their stories, their experiences, and their needs. The Governor, First Lady, and the Governor’s team were all impressed with the level of preparation, participation and engagement of our kids.
Special recognition also goes to Jack Ledden, DJJ’s Deputy Director for Residential Services, whose first envisioned this program and whose leadership has moved the process to this point, and to Beaumont and Bon Air staff and Executive Assistant Wendy Hoffman, all of whom went considerable effort to get the residents downtown for the meeting, and to ensure the meeting went smoothly.
