Support + Strength = Success
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Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice Summer, 2021
Support + Strength = Success
Welcome to the premiere edition of Family
Matters! Our goal is to develop a network of
DJJ involved families to support each other,
especially those most recently involved in the
juvenile justice system. With assistance and
encouragement from each other, our families
will be better equipped to advocate for their
youth and become partners with the system have a voice within the department. One of
working to help them succeed. the ways we will do this is with this quarterly
Our Family Engagement Committee, which newsletter. All we need is your e-mail address,
meets the second Wednesday of each month and you will automatically receive it, along with
(currently virtually), provides a way for families invitations to join our meetings via computer or
to get involved, get and share information and cell phone, with or without video.
Visitation Is Back, But
With Some New Rules
After a long pause due to the pandemic,
DJJ is pleased to announce that visitation
has returned! It will look a little different
than it has in the past, but you will once
again be able to visit your family member
in person, while observing the following
conditions:
n Outdoors, masks required
n No physical contact
n Two visitors per resident
n Split campus
Tentative dates for July are the 11th for
the individual cottage units and the 25th
for the main building where you first enter.
After these two visits are completed, Bon Air
staff will review the procedure. Based on how
successfully the visits went, and especially if
COVID cases and exposures continue to go
down, the schedule could change to more often.
Meet Our Team
Diane Leiter Tamla Brookins
Family Engagement Coordinator Family Advocate
My goal is to get more I would like to connect
families involved in our work with families as a support
with the youth, from their and advocate for them
entry into our system to and their children. Having
their return home. Families personal experience with my
are integral to the juvenile’s child in DJJ has given me
success, and our DJJ staff insight into what others are
welcome their support, help going through, and I would
and encouragement of the like to help. You are your
youth. I share information, child’s greatest cheerleader,
respond to questions and requests and try to and I encourage you to get involved in their
maintain open communication. treatment. I am available to support and listen.
Contact: (804) 314-5242 or diane.leiter@ Contact: (804) 916-0146 or tamla.
djj.virginia.gov. brookins@djj.virginia.gov.
Reentry Advocates
The Reentry Advocates serve each region to as well as their families to community agencies for
help prepare committed youth for a seamless services and ensuring youth have identification
transition back into the community. Reentry documents.
Advocates help with the reentry process by Need help with Medicaid applications, college/
connecting youth to employment services, training programs, employment or other services?
providing support and assistance in post- Don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Reentry
secondary and vocational service, linking youth Advocate! Their contact information is listed below.
Eastern Region Central Region Southern Region Western Region Northern Region
Kecia Brothers-Hayes Rowena Callis Sasha Davenport Jarrod Davis George Peoples
kecia.brothers rowena.callis sasha.davenport jarrod.davis george.peoples
@djj.virginia.gov @djj.virginia.gov @djj.virginia.gov @djj.virginia.gov @djj.virginia.gov
(804) 972-4148 (804) 837-6010 (804) 310-1783 (804) 338-1053 (804) 337-8337
You Can Be A Family Advocate!
DJJ is recruiting for Family Advocates to serve part-time, approximately 20 hours a month. If
in the western, eastern, northern and southern you are interested please contact Diane Leiter at
regions of the state. These paid positions are (804) 314-5242, or diane.leiter@djj.virginia.gov.
FAMILY MATTERS PAGE 2
Meet Our Team
Residential
Residential: Community
Community
Franklin Wilkes, Alisha Winston,
Resident Specialist Probation Officer,
Mr. Wilkes began CSU 14–Henrico
his career with DJJ Ms. Winston started
in 2010 at Beaumont with DJJ in 2004 as a
JCC, where he worked security officer at Bon
with residents in Air, becoming a counselor
the Work Education in 2006. In 2016, she
Release Program. In moved to the Henrico court
2016, he became advocate for the Student service unit. She was drawn to DJJ by
Government Association (SGA). In 2017 her desire to work with court-involved
he transferred to Bon Air JCC where he youth, and she says there is never a dull
continues to work with the SGA. “We’ve moment. She likes to travel to different
seen young people enter this facility very facilities, and knowing where the youth are
rough around the edges,” he says. “I come to going. She especially enjoys knowing what
work to help someone’s child have a vibrant happens when they leave the facilities, and
smile and utilize the potential they have how they progress in the community.
stored inside them.” “Surround yourself with the dreamers
Family Voice: One family member voiced and the doers, the believers and thinkers,
appreciation for Counselor Kacie Scott but most of all, surround yourself with
at Bon Air, saying she “has been awesome those who see the greatness within you,
with my son, very transparent with both of even when you don’t see it yourself.” This
us. She calls at least once a month, and has quote has been on Alisha’s desk since the
been very encouraging to my son and me.” start of her career.
Education
Education
The Division of Education available, we brought them
has continued to meet the on-site and in the surrounding
challenge of providing learning communities to further ensure
experiences for our students the safety of everyone at Bon
during the pandemic while Air.
keeping everyone safe. By Some highlights from the
adhering to CDC protocols and 2020-21 year:
facility policies, we were able P Built infrastructure for
to provide continuous access to virtual learning.
learning since it began. P Began Town Hall meetings to foster
We have used a variety of strategies, family engagement.
including activating virtual platforms, P Administered two SAT tests and two
taking the instruction to the housing units, Advanced Placement tests.
and limiting the number of teachers and P Graduated more than 20 high school students.
students in the classrooms. Through it all, we We are excited about increasing our in-
maintained services for our most academically person instruction as we plan for an extended
vulnerable students. When vaccines became calendar for the 2021-22 school year.
FAMILY MATTERS PAGE 3
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