                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

PURPOSE AND INTENT (§ 16.1-309.2)

The General Assembly, to ensure the prevention of juvenile crime and the
imposition of appropriate and just sanctions and to make the most efficient use
of community diversion and community-based and correctional resources for those
juveniles who have been screened for needing community diversion or
community-based services using an evidence-based assessment protocol or are
before intake on complaints or the court on petitions alleging that the juvenile
is a child in need of services, child in need of supervision, or delinquent, has
determined that it is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to establish a
community-based system of progressive intensive sanctions and services that
correspond to the severity of offense and treatment needs. The purpose of this
system shall be to deter crime by providing community diversion or
community-based services to juveniles who are in need of such services and by
providing an immediate, effective punishment that emphasizes accountability of
the juvenile offender for his actions as well as reduces the pattern of repeat
offending. In furtherance of this purpose, counties, cities or combinations
thereof are encouraged to develop, implement, operate, and evaluate programs and
services responsive to their specific juvenile offender needs and juvenile crime
trends.
		This article shall be interpreted and construed to accomplish the following
purposes:

1. Promote an adequate level of services to be available to every juvenile and
domestic relations district court.

2. Ensure local autonomy and flexibility in addressing juvenile crime.

3. Encourage a public and private partnership in the design and delivery of
services for juveniles who come before intake on a complaint or the court on a
petition alleging a child is in need of services, in need of supervision, or
delinquent or have been screened for needing community diversion or
community-based services using an evidence-based assessment protocol.

4. Emphasize parental responsibility and provide community-based services for
juveniles and their families which hold them accountable for their behavior.

5. Establish a locally driven statewide planning process for the allocation of
state resources.

6. Promote the development of an adequate service capacity for juveniles before
intake on a complaint or the court on petitions alleging status or delinquent
offenses.

HISTORY: 1995, cc. 698, 840; 1996, cc. 671, 682; 2019, c. 105.