Why Virginia's only youth prison is under state investigation
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Virginia's only youth prison is once again under investigation.
The big picture: Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, located in Chesterfield, has been the subject of mounting scrutiny among lawmakers, advocates and families over conditions that a former employee has described as "completely inhumane."
- Incarcerated youth setting fires at the facility has become a persistent problem. Chesterfield Fire & EMS responded to 45 calls at Bon Air between February 2024 and February 2025.
- In a March letter, the county's fire chief wrote that the pattern reflects "much deeper issues at the facility that must be addressed" by the Department of Juvenile Justice, which operates the center.
- Later that same month, police charged a former correctional officer with sexually assaulting a teenage girl at Bon Air, WTVR reported. Detectives believe there may be more victims.
Driving the news: Last week, Virginia's Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) announced it's opening an investigation into Bon Air after the Commission on Youth requested one in early April.
- Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the commission voiced concerns at a meeting last month about the allegations of ongoing fires, understaffing and youth being locked in cells for up to two days without showers.
What they're saying: In that meeting, DJJ director Amy Floriano acknowledged the critical staffing issues, said the fires were started by only a small number of residents and shared that youth receive "hygiene kits" while in lockdown, per WTVR.
- DJJ has also said they welcome and support OSIG's review.
Zoom in: Staffing shortages, a nationwide issue, were a major concern in a third-party audit last year that the DJJ commissioned, reports VPM.
- The audit found that, because of limited staffing, Bon Air has "halted or reformatted nearly all of its programming," including education and mental health services.
- And the loss of programming can lead to "boredom and idleness," per the report, which can lead to an "uptick in violence" and "staff feeling unsafe."
What's next: The final report from OSIG's investigation into Bon Air will include a review of staffing and programming and be presented to the commission and General Assembly by Dec. 1.