The First District Court Service Unit provides domestic and delinquent intake services, juvenile probation and parole services to the City of Chesapeake. We also partner with the Chesapeake DHS Department of Community Programs to provide diversion and truancy services. We welcome and appreciate the support of volunteers to assist with probation and parole in the capacity of unpaid internships for educational credit.
For youth on probation and parole, court service unit staff have access to a variety of contracted services including assessments and evaluations, individual therapy, family therapy, substance abuse treatment, therapy for youth with sexualized behaviors, and life skills coaching. CSUs access these services through DJJ's contracted regional service coordinators. A directory of services available through DJJ's RSC Model is available at AMIkids.
The First District Court Service Unit offers volunteer opportunities through its association with Volunteer Advocates for Chesapeake Youth (VACY). VACY is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides programs for the court, the court service unit and youth before the court using volunteers. Governed by a volunteer board of directors, VACY strives to make a difference in the lives of Chesapeake youth with the help of volunteers.
Our mission it to provide services to children, youth and families to prevent or reduce juvenile court involvement, while increasing community awareness of issues facing youth and families though advocacy and education.
We serve Chesapeake Youth under the age of 19 who are before the court for Truancy, first offense misdemeanors, and who are on probation. We also serve as advocates for children and youth who have been abused and neglected to ensure they have a home free of further trauma.
Our youth need adults who can be a positive light in a life that only knows darkness and a sense of failure. Volunteers serve as mentors, case managers, advocates, program facilitators, panel members for conference committees, and assisting with community service projects. Volunteers are needed weekdays, evenings and weekends.
Internships - placement opportunities for undergraduate and graduate level students. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of experiences in the juvenile justice system including intake processing, social history preparation, probation case management, direct care services, parole planning, and court procedure.
In addition, students and volunteers are needed for:
Community Service: youth work under the supervision of volunteers to benefit their neighborhoods or community while completing the community service hours required.
Court Appointed Special Advocates: CASA volunteers advocate for children who have been abused and/or neglected.
Detention Outreach: provides supervision to youth who do not meet detention requirements but need oversight while in the community.
Juvenile Conference Committee: offers an alternative to the juvenile justice system by diverting first time minor offenders to a non-adversarial community process.
One-to-One: volunteers spend time with youth who need positive role models, assistance with school, extracurricular activities, mentoring and/or connection to needed resources.
Truancy: maintains a coordinated interagency response to truant youth while providing volunteers to monitor and case manage these youth.
Children First: for parents, experiencing divorce or custody disagreements, to assist them in putting aside their differences in order to understand what is in the best interest of their child.
Incentives for Change: designed to provide positive rewards for youth on probation who have maintained a certain level of behavior or who have been able to successfully complete specified tasks.
Life Skills: a two session program facilitated by volunteers to provide youth with information in assisting them to make better choices in their daily lives.
Class Action: a law related education program offered by the Office of the Attorney General that educates students and their parents about Virginia’s laws and the short and long-term consequences for violating such laws.
Mary Riley
Executive Director/Volunteer Coordinator
First District Court Service Unit
301 Albemarle Drive
Chesapeake, Virginia 23322
