CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — As safety issues at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center have made headlines in recent months, one state lawmaker is calling for greater transparency from the state agency that oversees the facility after he claimed the agency is preventing him from disclosing information about the facility.
As CBS 6 has uncovered, the youth prison has been impacted by critically low staffing, overworked and unsatisfied employees, and conditions of confinement among youth. Staffing shortages have led to resident idleness and security employees who feel unsafe, according to a third-party assessment of the facility that was completed last year.
Local News
Report: 'Critical' staff shortage, lack of programming at Bon Air youth prison
Then in early February, 11 male residents attempted a takeover of a housing unit and started a fire, according to Crime Insider sources.
Emergency records, obtained through a public records request by CBS 6, showed multiple repeated instances over the past year of young residents starting fires in the facility prompting responses from the Chesterfield Fire Department.
Watch: Records reveal multiple instances of residents reportedly lighting fires at understaffed Bon Air youth prison
In response to CBS 6's reporting on these incidents, Democratic Delegate Mike Jones, whose district includes Bon Air, showed up at the facility unannounced on February 11 to take a tour.
But he wasn't allowed inside.
“I’m a state employee. I represent that area, and to be turned away, and then the response that I received—distasteful is a kind word," Jones said.
Jones said he was told he would first need to sign a confidentiality agreement, which the Department of Juvenile Justice said is in place to protect the privacy of its residents, many of whom are under the age of 18, and to comply with state laws and regulations.
While Jones said he understood that part, what he really took issue with was the section of the contract that would prevent him from disclosing "all information presented, observed, or discussed on the tour."
That meant he wouldn't be able to tell members of the public what he thought about things like programming, staffing, and conditions, which he said is critical to advocating for solutions.
So, he canceled his visit.
“The reason why I didn't go in and see anything is because if I write legislation and I testify to that legislation, I could be in danger of going against that confidentiality agreement," Jones said. “There's something wrong with that. What are they hiding? What are they keeping away from us?”
When asked for a response to Jones' concerns, DJJ spokesperson Melodie Martin said the agreement is "standard and has been in place for years with no previous issues." She said Delegate Jones did not bring his questions or concerns directly to DJJ.
She said there is "no express exemption to statutory confidentiality requirements for members of the state legislature" and that many lawmakers have signed them before.
Martin added that DJJ Director Amy Floriano invited Jones to tour the facility back in October on two occasions, but he did not respond.
When Jones showed up in February, Martin said he brought someone with him who recorded video of an area where youth may be present, saying that put residents at risk of being "gawked at or politically weaponized."
"DJJ takes seriously the security of the facility and simply cannot allow members of the public, including elected officials, into secure areas at the risk of jeopardizing resident and staff safety. As such, we also cannot allow individuals who tour the facility to openly recount observations as that may provide information to elements of the public that may pose a threat to the security of the [juvenile correctional center]," Martin said.
But Jones disagrees and is calling on Governor Youngkin to direct the agency to remove barriers that he believes impact his ability to legislate.
“Let me do my job. I'm not trying to be divisive. I’m just simply trying to find a fix, to get the right funding, to get what they need to come up with a solution," Jones said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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