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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76101</law_id><section_number>16.1-280</section_number><catch_line>Commitment of juveniles with mental illness or intellectual disability</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="16.1">Courts Not of Record</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="11">Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">Disposition</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>When any <span class="dictionary">juvenile court</span> has found a juvenile to be in need of services or delinquent pursuant to the provisions of <span class="dictionary">this law</span> and reasonably believes such juvenile has mental illness or intellectual disability, <span class="dictionary">the court</span> may commit him to an appropriate hospital or <span class="dictionary">order</span> mandatory outpatient treatment in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title" href="/16.1-335/">16.1-335</a> et seq.) or admit him to a training center in accordance with the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Judicial certification of eligibility for admission of persons with intellectual disability" href="/37.2-806/">37.2-806</a> for observation as to his mental condition. No juvenile shall be committed pursuant to this section or Article 16 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title" href="/16.1-335/">16.1-335</a> et seq.) to a maximum security unit within any state hospital where <span class="dictionary">adults</span> determined to be criminally insane reside. However, the Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services may place a juvenile who has been certified to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court for <span class="dictionary">trial</span> as an <span class="dictionary">adult</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Circuit court hearing; jury; termination of juvenile court jurisdiction; objections and appeals" href="/16.1-269.6/">16.1-269.6</a> or <a class="law" title="Waiver of jurisdiction of juvenile court in certain cases" href="/16.1-270/">16.1-270</a> or who has been convicted as an <span class="dictionary">adult</span> of a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> in the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court in a unit appropriate for the care and treatment of persons under a criminal charge when, in his discretion, such placement is necessary to protect the security or safety of other patients, staff, or the public. The Commissioner shall notify the committing court of any placement in such unit. The committing court shall review the placement at 30-day intervals.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 16.1-178.2; 1960, c. 103; 1974, cc. 44, 45; 1977, c. 559; 1978, c. 739; 1981, c. 487; 1988, c. 826; 1990, c. 975; 1994, cc. 859, 949; 2009, cc. 813, 840; 2010, cc. 778, 825; 2012, cc. 476, 507.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
