MAY 1, 2025
The Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice has installed and implemented multiple security enhancements to strengthen youth safety at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center. In fiscal year 2024, resident-on-resident assaults were down compared to the year before.
Improvements have included measures to detect and reduce the entry of contraband into the facility such as the establishment of a drug detection K9 unit, the installation of full-body and bag scanners, and the purchase and use of devices to aid in detecting items hidden in walls and other structures. Physical upgrades include the installation of secondary fencing, additional cameras, and improved lighting.
DJJ has also established at Bon Air JCC a facility investigations team, an intelligence unit that provides 24-hour camera observation of the full campus, a team dedicated to investigating incidents, the development of a strategic response team to address incidents in real time, the hiring of a scheduling coordinator to ensure proper and comprehensive security coverage, and the development of a unit dedicated to housing habitual security threats with increased therapeutic services to address their specific needs.
Even with the average daily population at Bon Air JCC increasing between FY 2023 and FY 2024, the number of resident-on-resident assaults and resident fights decreased. Resident-on-resident assaults decreased 21.9%, and resident fights decreased 35%.
