Commission on Youth asks governor for independent investigation of Bon Air Correctional Center

The Commission on Youth voted unanimously to ask the governor (or appropriate independent authority) to conduct an independent investigation into Bon Air Correctional Center, citing ongoing concerns about staffing, lockdowns, programming and the facility's ability to deliver consistent rehabilitative services.

The request came at the commission's first meeting of the 2025 session after a presentation from Amy Floriano, director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), and follow-up testimony from national and legal experts. Senator Barbara Favola, chairing the meeting, put the motion to a voice vote; the motion passed unanimously after Delegate Irene Shinn moved it and Delegate Joshua Cole seconded it.

Why it matters: Commissioners and witnesses told the panel that Bon Air, the state's only DJJ-operated correctional center for juveniles, now houses a much more serious and older population than a decade ago, and staff shortages and recurring lockdowns are straining the facility's rehabilitative mission. The commission asked for an independent review of operations, staffing, programming, mental health services and other system-level issues to produce recommendations for corrective action.

Most important facts - Director Amy Floriano told the commission Bon Air had 170 residents at the time of her presentation and that 109 of those were age 18 or older. She said 27 residents were serving sentences for murder and that the facility's admissions skew toward violent-person felonies. - Floriano said DJJ's current staffing…