In the 2026 session of the Virginia General Assembly, lawmakers approved House Bill 91, directing the Department of Juvenile Justice to establish standards for limiting room or cell confinement for minors in juvenile correctional facilities. The bill, with Delegate Holly Seibold as chief patron, has been signed into law following its passage through both the House of Delegates and the Senate.
The legislation requires the Department of Juvenile Justice to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in developing clear standards designed to maximize the amount of time that a minor committed to a juvenile correctional facility spends out of the confinement of his room or cell. A primary directive involves studying and considering the benefits to minors of limiting such confinement. The department must also examine the impact of these benefits on specific factors, including the safety of the facility and successful reentry into the community.
Based on this examination, the bill mandates that the department develop a minimum number of hours per day that minors committed to a juvenile correctional facility shall spend out of the confinement of their rooms or cells. This minimum serves as a benchmark for the new standards.
After the standards are developed and implemented, along with related training and programming, the department is to collect data on the outcomes of these initiatives. A comprehensive report on this data, as well as details on the training and programming, must be submitted by November 1, 2026. The recipients of the report include the Commission on Youth and the chairs of the Senate Committee on Rehabilitation and Social Services and the House Committees on Health and Human Services and Public Safety.
House Bill 91 was introduced as a recommendation of the Commission on Youth, providing legislative backing to prior recommendations on juvenile justice practices.
The bill’s journey through the General Assembly included approval in the House of Delegates. It then moved to the Senate, where it passed with amendments by a margin of 36 votes in favor and 2 against. On February 26, 2026, the House of Delegates agreed to the Senate amendments. The governor subsequently signed the bill, incorporating it into the Acts of Assembly.
The emphasis within the bill on assessing the safety of the facility when limiting confinement highlights the need to preserve secure conditions essential for the proper functioning of juvenile correctional institutions. Consideration of successful reentry into the community as part of the study process points to an interest in outcomes that allow minors to transition effectively after their time in the facility.
The establishment of a minimum daily hours requirement creates a specific target for increasing time spent outside rooms or cells. This target is tied directly to the analysis of benefits for the minors and the effects on facility safety and community reentry.
Stakeholder collaboration ensures that the standards account for diverse operational and practical insights from those engaged in juvenile corrections. Such involvement supports the creation of guidelines that are applicable across different facility settings.
The data collection phase following implementation provides a means to measure the real-world effects of the standards. Information gathered will include various metrics related to the time spent out of confinement and its associated impacts.
Training and programming elements are integral to the reporting obligation, indicating that staff preparation and minor support activities are part of the overall strategy outlined in the law. The November 1, 2026, deadline for the report establishes a clear timeframe for completing the initial implementation cycle and compiling the necessary documentation.
By requiring this detailed study and subsequent reporting, the legislation sets up a framework for informed adjustments to confinement practices in Virginia’s juvenile system. The focus on benefits to minors, tempered by evaluations of facility safety and reentry success, allows for a thorough review of how changes might affect both the individuals involved and the broader community.
The legislative process for House Bill 91 demonstrated the steps involved in bringing such a measure to enactment, from introduction to final approval and signing. With its status as an act of the assembly, the directives are now in effect for the Department of Juvenile Justice to begin the required work.
This new law provides specific guidance on standards for room or cell confinement, ensuring that any limitations are accompanied by analysis of key operational and outcome factors. The report due in late 2026 will offer the first comprehensive look at the data and efforts undertaken in accordance with these provisions.
