State inspector general to review operations, staffing, programs and services at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Office of the State Inspector General has announced that it will carry out a special review of the Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center following a letter by the Commission of Youth urging for an investigation.

The Bon Air facility is located in Chesterfield County and houses youth ranging from about 14 to 20 years old who have been committed by the juvenile court for crimes ranging from misdemeanors to felonies. It’s the state’s only facility for housing convicted youth.

According to the letter shared in a post to X by Sen. Barbara Favola, Chair of the Commission of Youth -- comprised of lawmakers -- the special review was announced on Tuesday, May 6. It will reportedly take a look at the correctional center's operations, staffing, programming and mental health services.

The state inspector general said it will begin by touring the facility, interviewing key staff members and documenting the correctional center's operating processes and procedures.

When the review is done, a draft report will be provided to the Department of Juvenile Justice, including significant observations, and an exit conference will be held to allow the department to comment on the report and provide its plan of action in response to recommendations.

The Office of the State Inspector General said it will distribute the report with management's responses and plan of action to the Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin, the Commission on Youth, the General Assembly and the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security by Dec. 1.

The report will also be posted on the state inspector general's website.

This review comes after the Commission on Youth raised concerns during an early April meeting after multiple fires were started by residents at the facility, and ultimately decided to write a letter to Youngkin’s office urging an independent investigation of the correctional center.

The Office of the State Inspector General's letter announcing the review is below: