JUVENILE CORRECTIONS
CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE.
(ANITA)
AND THAT TREND CAN ALSO
BE SEEN HERE IN HAMPTON
ROADS.
10 ON YOUR SIDE'S AESIA
TOLIVER INVESTIGATED
WHAT'S BEHIND THAT
DRAMATIC
DECREASE.
AESIA?
THE CHANGE CAN BE TRACED
BACK TO 2015, WHEN THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE
JUSTICE
ESTABLISHED THE
TRANSFORMATION PLAN.
THE PLAN WAS CREATED MAKE
SURE THE DEPARTMENT WAS
USING THEIR MONEY
MORE EFFECTIVELY.
AND EVER SINCE THEN, THE
NUMBER OF PROGRAMS
AVAILABLE TO HELP THE
YOUTH IN
OUR AREA HAS GONE UP, AND
THE NUMBER OF THEM BEHIND
BARS HAS GONE DOWN.
(AESIA TOLIVER REPORTING)
MATTHEW MAGANA
"I DON'T LIKE SEEING THE
WHITE WALLS AND BEING
BEHIND THE DOOR"
18 YEAR OLD MATTHEW
MAGANA HAS BEEN LOCKED
UP AT THE VIRGINIA BEACH
JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER
FOR OVER A YEAR.
MATTHEW MAGANA
"IT'S NOT SOMEWHERE YOU
WANT TO LIVE"
BUT DON'T BE MISLEAD, HIS
DAYS ARE JAM PACKED.
MATTHEW MAGANA
"I'M USUALLY DOING MY
COLLEGE WORK MOST OF THE
DAY BECAUSE I'M TAKING
FIVE CLASSES"
THE VIRGINIA BEACH
JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER
THE FACILITY ON A FULL
TIME
BASIS.
IT'S ALL A PART OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE
JUSTICE'S COMMUNITY
PLACEMENT PROGRAM LOCATED
INSIDE.
THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES AN
ALTERNATIVE FOR COURT-
INVOLVED YOUTH IN NEED OF
SECURE PLACEMENT THAT
KEEPS THEM CLOSE TO HOME.
AND INCLUDES EVERYTHING
FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE
COUNSELING, TO BARBER
CLASSES, AND EVEN COLLEGE
COURSES. MATTHEW MAGANA
"WHEN I CAME IN HERE I
DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO
EXPECT, THE PROGRAM IT
SHOWED ME A LOT OF STUFF.
IT SHOWED ME A LOT OF
THINGS THAT I DIDN'T OPEN
MY EYES TO WHEN I WAS
OUTSIDE. IT'S TAUGHT ME
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT
I HAVE, THE OPPORTUNITIES
THAT THEY GIVE ME"
AND HE'S NOT THE ONLY
ONE, BRYANT PAGE FEELS
LIKE
BEING IN THE PROGRAM HAS
CHANGED HIM FOR THE
BETTER.
BRYANT PAGE
"IT'S LIKE I REALLY
DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MY
FEELINGS AND HOW TO COPE
KNOW MYSELF NOW AND IT'S
EASY FOR ME TO IDENTIFY
AND COPE WITH IT"
NOW PAGE SAYS DREAMS THAT
SEEMED OUT OF REACH,
FEEL ATTAINABLE.
BRYANT PAGE
"I WANT TO HAVE MY OWN
RECORD LABEL I WANT TO
HAVE AN ELECTRIC COMPANY
OR CONSTRUCTION
COMPANY AND I WANT TO OWN
A BARBERSHOP"
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE
VIRGINIA BEACH JUVENILE
DETENTION CENTER, PETE
WITHERS, SAYS FIVE YEARS
AGO NONE OF THESE
OPPORTUNITIES EXISTED.
PETE WITHERS SUPT OF THE
VIRGINIA BEACH JUVENILE
DETENTION CENTER
"THERE'S A NUMBER OF
RESOURCES AND MONEY THAT
NUMBER OF JUVENILE
CORRECTIONAL CENTERS
AROUND THE STATE AND HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO REINVEST
THAT MONEY INTO LOCAL
COMMUNITY PROGRAMS"
WITHERS SAYS THOSE
STRATEGIES, LIKE THE
COMMUNITY PLACEMENT
PROGRAM PAGE AND MAGAN
ARE IN, HAVE ULTIMATELY
LED TO FEWER YOUTH BEHIND
BARS.
THE NUMBER OF JUVENILE
INMATES HAS DROPPED SO
MUCH THAT MOST OF THE
FACILITIES STATEWIDE HAVE
SHUT DOWN.
VIRGINIA HAS GONE FROM 7
STATE OPERATED JUVENILE
CORRECTIONS CENTERS TO 1
HOLDING ABOUT 300
INMATES.
BUT ON THE LOCAL LEVEL..
PETE WITHERS SUPT OF THE
VIRGINIA BEACH JUVENILE
DETENTION CENTER
"THERE'S 24 JUVENILE
DETENTION CENTERS THAT
GIVEN DAY WE USED TO SEE
THAT NUMBER OF KIDS BUT
NOW WE SEE ABOUT 600 KIDS
THAT ARE DETAINED IN
THESE FACILITIES"
WITHERS SAYS THESE LOCAL
PROGRAMS ARE ULTIMATELY
CLOSING THE REVOLVING
DOOR BY GETTING TO THE
YOUTH'S ROOT ISSUE.
MATHEW MAGANA
"I CAN'T MAKE ANYMORE
MISTAKES BECAUSE I'VE GOT
TOO MUCH RIDING ON ME AND
TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES I
CAN'T END UP BACK IN THE
SAME
SITUATION"
WHETHER THAT BE THEIR
FAMILY, MENTAL HEALTH, OR
EVEN SCHOOL PROBLEMS-
THEY HAVE SOMEONE IN THE
COMMUNITY READY TO HELP
THEM WITH IT ALL.
PETE WITHERS SUPT OF THE
VIRGINIA BEACH JUVENILE
DETENTION CENTER
" I'VE BEEN IN THIS
BUSINESS A LONG LONG TIME
THIS IS
THE BEST THING WE'VE EVER
IF
THEY DIDNT SEE THT WE
COULD GO OUT AND GAVE THE
POTENTIAL TO DO SOMETHING
LIKE THAT TO
CHANGE OUR LIVES AROUND
AND MAYBE CHANGE OTHER
PEOPLES LIVES"
THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS AND
PROGRAMS THAT WORK WITH
THE THE
YOUTH IN OUR AREA, TO
MAKE SURE THEY STAY ON
THE RIGHT PATH.
YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THOSE
PROGRAMS THROUGH
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS ONLY
ON
WAVY DOT COM.
I'M AESIA TOLIVER 10 ON
YOUR SIDE.