MAY 1, 2025
A Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice analysis of treatment need completion for youth with indeterminate commitments in direct care from 2018 to 2024 illustrates the positive impact of changes made in 2023 to the agency’s length of stay (LOS) guidelines.
The LOS Guidelines were adjusted in 2023 to provide adequate time for youth with indeterminate commitments to complete vocational programs, comprehensive mental health and behavioral programming, educational requirements, and workforce development.
With indeterminate commitments, the amount of time served is determined by DJJ staff during the admission and evaluation process and reviewed during treatment. Other types of commitment for youth are determinate commitments, in which time is set and reviewed by the court, and blended sentences, in which time is served with both DJJ and the Virginia Department of Corrections.
The previous guidelines implemented in 2015 considerably shortened youths’ lengths of stay and removed requirements, like treatment completion, for release eligibility. This resulted in substantially shorter amounts of time for committed youth to receive rehabilitation, treatment, education, and other services, and a lower proportion of youth completing needed treatment.
The 2023 update to the LOS guidelines made treatment completion a requirement for release. Data shows aggression management treatment completion rates for indeterminate direct care releases who were in direct care for at least 90 days improved from 67% in 2018 to 94% in 2024, and substance use treatment completion rates improved from 64% in 2018 to 97% in 2024. (Youth with inpatient sex offender treatment needs were excluded because they receive a treatment override to the assigned length of stay.)
The 2023 LOS Guidelines help ensure youth complete their treatment needs and are better prepared for a successful return to their communities.
