detention reentry Program

The Detention Reentry Program prepares juveniles for progressively increased responsibility and freedom, helping to bridge services between direct care placement and the community.

Some juvenile detention centers (JDCs) allow DJJ to use existing bed space in their facilities by providing detention reentry programs for juveniles in direct care, allowing them to begin transitioning back to their communities 30 to 120 days before their scheduled release date. Similar to the Community Placement Program, the programs encourage increased visitation with families and allow residents and families to begin parole planning with their assigned parole officers.

The following JDCs operate detention reentry programs:

Blue Ridge (up to age 21)
Crater (ages 16-19)
James River
Merrimac (up to age 21)
Norfolk (up to age 20)
Rappahannock (up to age 21)
Richmond (up to age 19)
Shenandoah (up to age 20)
Virginia Beach (up to age 21)

Resources

What is detention reentry?

The Detention Reentry Program provides juveniles an option for transitioning from a direct care placement to a local juvenile detention center (JDC) in close proximity to their home community for up to 120 days prior to discharge from commitment onto parole. Direct care placements may include juvenile correctional centers (JCCs), community placement programs (CPPs), and/or contracted residential programs (e.g. residential treatment centers, group homes) through the regional service coordinator. The goal of the program is to establish connections with communities and families. The focus of detention reentry is to prepare juveniles for progressively increased responsibility and freedom, facilitate family interaction and involvement, establish relationships, and begin work with the juvenile and targeted community support systems. All of this is accomplished through progressive opportunities being afforded to the juvenile to participate in off-site outings and furloughs.

Who is eligible for detention reentry?

Juveniles who:

Are within 30-120 days of release from direct care;
Will have completed their assigned direct care treatment needs or be able to continue the treatment while in the Detention Reentry Program (as approved on an individual basis);
Have a completed mental health services transition plan (MHSTP) facility case review completed at the direct care placement for juveniles identified as having a recognized mental health, substance abuse, or other therapeutic treatment need in accordance with regulatory requirements;
Juveniles committed as serious offenders will have approval by the committing judge and the Deputy Director of Residential Services, for placement in the Program and a release date within 120 days; and
Juveniles designated as special decision cases will have approval by the DJJ Director for placement in the Program and a release date within 120 days.

* Exclusionary criteria is determined by each individual juvenile detention center.

What services are provided by the detention facility?

The JDC, at a minimum, provides the following:

Room and board (juvenile to be placed in a post-d unit if available);
Daily staff supervision;
Daily clothing as provided to all other juvenile in detention; no jumpsuits, clothing to align with the progressive re-integration into the community;
Educational services identified in the CRCP and re-enrollment documents;
Employability and/or Independent living skills;
Transportation as agreed upon in the Memorandum of Agreement;
Mental health crisis intervention services;
Provisions for drug screening juveniles upon return to the facility after off-site activities;
Basic routine medical services (e.g., sick call, medication administration) for minor medical issues; and
A designated case manager to collaborate with the court service unit (CSU) and central admission and placement (CAP) unit.

What additional services are available to juveniles in detention reentry?

The PO is responsible for making necessary links and brokering all community based services through the continuum of care. Service delivery can occur at the JDC or in the community.

What is the purpose of off-site outings and furloughs for juveniles in detention reentry?

Juveniles in detention reentry should be placed in JDCs in their home community in order for transitional parole services to begin prior to release from direct care. This allows for a more seamless and supported transition back into the community and allows the juvenile more frequent interaction with their family and natural support system.

Purposes for off-site outings and furloughs for detention reentry juveniles can include (but are not limited to):

Detention center sponsored activities (if applicable);
Community service work;
Treatment participation with service provider(s);
Completing job applications and attending job interviews;
Work release; and/or
Visitation.

Off-site outings and furloughs should be individualized and clearly align with the juvenile’s established parole reentry CRCP. Detention reentry eliminates gaps in service delivery that may occur with a more traditional release from direct care by allowing the community based service provider to begin their treatment during this time of transition. Ideally, a juvenile in a detention reentry program should be spending more time in the community than in the JDC. The JDC, PO, service provider, or family can all provide transportation for the purpose of off-site outings or furloughs as needed and agreed upon by the treatment team. Furloughs and transportation by family requires approval by the residential case management system. Furloughs also have to be requested two (2) weeks in advance of the scheduled date, to include an outline of the events.

Where are juveniles housed in the JDC when they in detention reentry?

Each JDC’s physical layout and functionality is different so it is up to each individual JDC to determine where detention reentry juveniles are housed. An optimal placement would be in a unit/pod that has a higher level of structure or programming (e.g. post-d) however, this is not a requirement and juveniles can also be placed in a JDC’s general population.