CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — An independent review of the operations and culture at Virginia's only youth prison revealed that "significant changes are warranted" to improve conditions of confinement for youth and the work environment for staff.
Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, managed by the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and located in Chesterfield County, is where young people convicted of serious crimes across the state are housed for sentencing and rehabilitation.
But the conditions of the facility have been at the center of growing concern for advocacy groups and parents who say they're worried about safety issues, staffing restrictions, and prolonged periods of confinement for residents.
One parent of a juvenile who was housed at Bon Air, and did not want to be identified, summarized her concerns to CBS 6.
"If there was one major issue that stands out at Bon Air, it would be the lack of staff. This single issue led indirectly to residents not being allowed out for programs or recreational activities. It led to residents being locked in their rooms for extended periods of time as there were not enough staff to allow all youth out on the units at one time," she said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by advocates who attended a November Board of Juvenile Justice meeting to address DJJ officials and board members, calling for further investigation and scrutiny of the conditions at the facility.
At least one board member, Scott Kizner, said he took their concerns with urgency and suggested a third-party assessment of Bon Air.
CBS 6 has now learned there was an independent assessment of Bon Air completed in Spring of 2024 by criminal justice consultants with the Moss Group, which we obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The report painted a troubling picture of the facility's operations with the main culprit being "critically low" staffing levels.
WATCH: Reports cite staffing shortages, safety issues, and violations at Bon Air youth correctional facility
Staff report negative work culture
While DJJ will not disclose its number of vacancies, and that data was redacted from the report, the assessment found a shortage of front line security staff caused exhaustion among workers, excessive overtime, mandated draft shifts, the inability to effectively perform duties, insufficient supervision, fewer workers to respond to emergencies, and noncompliance with staffing ratio policies.
The consultants observed that staff would keep some residents confined to their rooms during programming hours, because there were not enough employees to supervise all the youth at the same time.
Staffing constraints also had a "critical impact" on the employees' sense of security, with most staff reporting they did not feel safe at work.
"With limited to no available back-up or support staff to respond to a critical incident, there was also sentiment that staff have had to rely on the youth, with direct care staff reporting the youth to be, at times, a first line of defense against other residents who may have ill intent. This has significant and profound impacts on culture, safety, and professional boundaries," the report states.
Workers expressed frustration that there were no resolutions after being physically assaulted by youth. They reported that the residents were often allowed to remain on the unit and assaulted employees "must continue the shift as if nothing has happened or ask to be removed from their post."
Staff said they felt "stuck," "taken advantage of," and had a "perceived lack of support by the administration." Further, workers reported that they were retaliated against for reporting concerns and "bullied by management."
Despite these issues, consultants found there was a lack of training and that "Bon Air has experienced no sense of urgency with training and little support in addressing the facility's identified needs."
The report summarized the employee experience as "staff overall reported fatigue with the constant state of change and decisions being made that feel in opposition of input, which contributes to mistrust and lack of confidence in some leadership."
Conditions of confinement
For the resident experience, consultants identified "high levels of idleness and boredom" and that youth were "restricted almost entirely to living units."
"One of the most significant themes from the onsite visit was the abundant lack of meaningful engagement for the youth and limited to zero time off the unit," the report states. The onsite visit took place in January and February of this year.
The assessment found a majority of programming was paused and forms of entertainment were removed from housing units, causing increased idleness in confinement, which consultants said can lead to an uptick in violence, manufacturing of weapons, and other safety issues.
"Residents reported that acts of physical violence in the facility may have led to room time and inability to leave the unit. However, they reported that staying in their room or unit has only increased frustrations and led to more violence or fights," the report said.
At the time of the report, it said some culinary, music, upholstery, vocation, and technical programs were inaccessible.
Additionally, the staffing shortage caused the number of days it took DJJ to admit youth to increase from 15-20 days 2-3 years ago to 72 days at the time of the report.
According to the report, sentence length determination is part of the admissions process and involves a meeting with several DJJ representatives in different areas of expertise.
Since the length of the admissions process more than tripled over the years, that meant juveniles "could serve a three to four-month longer sentence through no fault of their own," according the assessment.
DJJ responds
DJJ officials initially agreed to an interview with CBS 6 to discuss the report but then cancelled.
In written statements, agency spokesperson Melodie Martin said the assessment happened as Bon Air transitioned into new leadership, so officials were already aware of the problems and were working to address them.
"The assessment confirmed our previous knowledge and validated our concerns in several areas. The report did not provide additional insights, so its completion bolstered our confidence in the new leadership at Bon Air," Martin said.
However, DJJ acknowledged that "staffing remains the most obvious and overriding concern" and the shortage "has a direct impact on day to day operations.”
"If we had a more robust number of security staff, we feel it would remedy many of the concerns identified in the report," Martin said.
Martin said while the agency is committed to increasing programming, Bon Air can only run as many programs as safety and security will allow.
"Programming can only safely occur when there are sufficient staff to supervise the residents. Between the significant recruitment efforts to increase staffing and the collaboration in the facility, DJJ will continue to add programming as it becomes possible and available," Martin said.
Martin said Bon Air resumed in-person school earlier this year, as well as monthly incentives for residents who exhibit good behavior, in an effort to improve engagement.
To address the negative work environment, she said Bon Air is holding employees accountable, restructuring teams, enhancing reporting methods, and holding weekly meetings to directly hear from staff. She said the facility also added a Staff Safety Advocate position in 2023 as an avenue for workers to express concerns and feedback.
Martin said Bon Air is adding several different security positions, behavioral services positions, and implementing communication plans to keep staff informed and engaged with the facility's goals.
While the report listed dozens of recommendations for improvements, Martin said DJJ is already in the process of implementing most of them.
CBS 6 reached out to several members of the Board of Juvenile Justice to ask whether they had reviewed the report and if they would share their reaction to it. Board members either did not respond or said they could not comment.
Asked whether the report was shared with board members, Martin said it is not the practice of the department to share operational reports with the board, since it is a policy board rather than a supervisory board.
As far as the physical campus itself, the report found that Bon Air is too big, under-utilized, out of line with best practices, and the infrastructure is "pressed to a breaking point."
The report noted that as DJJ struggles to recruit and retain staff, "the Commonwealth must acknowledge that physical conditions and the environment definitely influence human behavior and attitudes."
You can read the full report here.
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