Community Criminal Justice Boards (CCJBs) are local advisory bodies created to provide localities with flexibility, local oversight, and coordinated planning to address challenges in their local criminal justice systems. CCJBs in Virginia provide collaborative, community-based approaches to criminal justice across all 133 counties and independent cities.
Responsibilities
CCJBs advise local governments and criminal justice agencies on developing and implementing policies that support sentencing alternatives, use resources efficiently, improve public safety, and ensure accountability. By bringing law enforcement, service providers, and the community together, these boards ensure local justice plans fit local needs. CCJB responsibilities as specified in the Code of Virginia (§ 9.1-180) include:
- Advising local governments and agencies on the development and operation of pretrial services and community-based probation programs;
- Assisting community agencies and organizations with creating or improving offender services and programs;
- Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of current programs and services;
- Developing and updating a criminal justice plan that guides local criminal justice programs and priorities;
- Reviewing grant funding and helping to ensure funds are used to support local priorities; and
- Providing a forum where local leaders can work together to respond to crime, improve the pretrial system, and find corrections alternatives to incarceration.
Membership
CCJBs must include a:
- General District Court judge,
- Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge,
- Circuit Court judge,
- Chief magistrate,
- Commonwealth’s Attorney,
- Public defender/criminal defense attorney,
- Chief of police,
- Sheriff/regional jail administrator,
- Local education representative,
- Local Community Services Board administrator, and
- Governing body representative.
CCJBs may also include victim services representatives, social services representatives, and citizens.
Authorization
Localities that choose to establish programs under the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act for Local-Responsible Offenders (Code of Virginia, § 9.1-173 et seq.) and the Pretrial Services Act (Code of Virginia, § 19.2-152.2 et seq.) are required to have a CCJB (Code of Virginia, § 9.1-178).