VIRGINIA JUVENILE COMMUNITY CRIME CONTROL ACT (VJCCCA)

About VJCCCA

In 1995, the General Assembly enacted the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act (VJCCCA) “to establish a community-based system of progressive intensive sanctions and services that correspond to the severity of offense and treatment needs.” The purpose was “to deter crime by providing immediate, effective punishment that emphasizes accountability of the juvenile offender for his actions as well as reduces the pattern of repeat offending.”

The Mission

The Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act Unit monitors the grant funding for local plans through guidance, program development, compliance with non-residential regulations, and the Code of Virginia, to facilitate quality services and outcomes for youth and families throughout Virginia.

VJCCCA is meant to:

  • Be a community-based system;
  • Be made up of progressive intensive sanctions and services;
  • Correspond with the severity of the offense and treatment needs; encourage communities to develop, implement, operate and evaluate programs and services responsive to juvenile offender needs and crime trends in their community;
  • Provide an adequate level of services available to every Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court;
  • Allow local autonomy and flexibility in addressing juvenile crime;
  • Encourage public and private partnership in the design and delivery of services;
  • Emphasize parental responsibility, through services that hold juveniles and families accountable for their behavior;
  • Facilitate a locally driven statewide planning process for allocating state resources; and
  • Provide adequate service capacity

All 133 cities and counties in Virginia participate in VJCCCA. Benefits of VJCCCA include:

  • Judges have additional alternative sentencing options;
  • Communities have received additional funding to create or enhance programs that they have needed for some time;
  • Localities have greater flexibility to design programs to meet the needs of their communities;
  • The number and variety of programs and services available for youth has increased in most communities, and;
  • Programs and services appear to be serving more youth in their own community
VJCCCA Regional Map