West Virginia Division of Juvenile
Services
Stephanie Bond,
Director
1200 Quarrier St.
Charleston, WV 25301
Media Contact: Lawrence
Messina
W.Va. Dept. of
Military Affairs and Public Safety
(304) 558-2930
Lawrence.C.Messina@wv.gov
For Immediate
Release
March 25, 2015
W.Va.
Division of Juvenile Services to co-host March 30
Juvenile Re-Entry Network
Conference with Diocese of
Wheeling-Charleston
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Organizations
that help West Virginia youths successfully exit the state’s juvenile justice
system will gather on Monday, March 30, 2015 to network and share information
regarding the various opportunities available to at-risk youth.
The W.Va. Division of
Juvenile Services and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston,
through its Office of Prison Ministry, are holding the Juvenile Re-Entry
Networking Conference at the Pope John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston.
Scheduled participants include community mental health and transitional living
providers, probation officers and such groups as Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the
Kanawha Institute for Social Research & Action (KISRA).
The W.Va. Department of
Education (DOE), Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), Community and
Technical College System and state circuit judges will also take part in the
daylong conference. The agenda focuses on efforts to help youths move from the
custody of Juvenile Services into community-based settings.
“This is a very exciting
time in West Virginia, as so many agencies are working together to help at-risk
youth,” said Division of Juvenile Services Director Stephanie Bond. “This conference is a great opportunity for
DJS and DOE staff to learn about various services available to assist our kids
as they transition to the community upon release.”
This learning and
networking opportunity also follows passage of juvenile justice reforms proposed
by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. The ground-breaking legislation reflects recommendations
from the West Virginia Intergovernmental Task Force on Juvenile Justice, formed
by Gov. Tomblin and assisted by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The data- and
research-driven reforms emphasize keeping at-risk youths in their homes and
communities whenever possible while enhancing accountability and improving
public safety.
The Division of Juvenile
Services is part of the W.Va. Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.