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Office of Safer Communities and Youth Services

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services is involved in planning, policy development, and funding of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention initiatives provided through federal or state resources. Staff provide coordination, program support, technical assistance, training, and monitoring of programs designed to address juvenile justice system improvement and delinquency prevention and programs to improve the investigation, prosecution, and administrative and judicial handling of child abuse cases.

Office of Safer Communities and Youth Services Staff


Laurel Marks, Manager, Office of Safer Communities and Youth Services
laurel.marks@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-786-3462

Chad Felts, Capacity Building and Sustainability Coordinator
Provides training and technical assistance to non-profit agencies, units of local government, and other community partners for grants related to firearm violence and violent crime reduction; serves as DCJS contact for LAP training
chad.felts@dcjs.virginia.gov
804--965-4427

Jenna Foster, Children’s Justice Act Coordinator
Coordinates improving investigation, prosecution, and judicial and administrative handling of child abuse
jenna.foster@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-968-8146

Ed Holmes, Juvenile Justice Program Analyst
Monitors juvenile justice grants and initiatives
ed.holmes@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-229-4376

Gregory Hopkins, Office of Safer Communities Coordinator
Oversees juvenile justice initiatives; firearms violence intervention, prevention and suppression grants; serves as Virginia's Juvenile Justice Specialist to OJJDP
gregory.hopkins@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-692-0977  

Tony Nelson, Primary Juvenile Justice Compliance Monitor
Serves as primary contact monitoring for compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act
tony.nelson@dcjs.virginia.gov
 804-796-0051

Melissa O'Neill, State Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program Coordinator
Oversees the CASA programs for the state
melissa.o’neill@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-786-6428 

Jennifer Quitiquit, Prevention and Intervention Grant Coordinator
Monitors grants funded through the Office of Safer Communities
jennifer.quitiquit@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-786-6428 

Kenneth Stables, Juvenile Justice Compliance Monitor
Monitors select facilities for compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act
kenneth.stables@dcjs.virginia.gov
 804-239-7293

Curtis Stevens, Juvenile Justice Compliance Monitor
Monitors select facilities for compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act
curtis.stevens@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-840-7040

Terry Willie-Surratt, CASA Grant Monitor and Quality Assurance Coordinator
Monitors CASA grants and assists grantees with QA processes
terry.willie-surratt@dcjs.virginia.gov
804-225-4320