2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 49. Child Welfare › Article 2. State Responsibilities for Children › §49-2-913. Juvenile Justice Reform Oversight Committee

(a) The Juvenile Justice Reform Oversight Committee is hereby created to oversee the implementation of reform measures intended to improve the state's juvenile justice system.
(b) The committee shall be comprised of seventeen members, including the following individuals:
(1) The Governor, or his or her designee, who shall preside as chair of the committee;
(2) Two members from the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, who shall serve as nonvoting, ex officio members;
(3) Two members from the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate, who shall serve as nonvoting, ex officio members;
(4) The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources, or his or her designee;
(5) The Director of the Division of Juvenile Services, or his or her designee;
(6) The Superintendent of the State Board of Education, or his or her designee;
(7) The Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals, or his or her designee, who shall serve as nonvoting, ex officio member;
(8) The Director of the Division of Probation Services, or his or her designee;
(9) Two circuit court judges, appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, who shall serve as nonvoting, ex officio members;
(10) One community member juvenile justice stakeholder, appointed by the Governor;
(11) One juvenile crime victim advocate, appointed by the Governor;
(12) One member from the law-enforcement agency, appointed by the Governor;
(13) One member from a county prosecuting attorney's office, appointed by the Governor; and
(14) The Director of the Juvenile Justice Commission.
(c) The committee shall perform the following duties:
(1) Guide and evaluate the implementation of the provisions adopted in the year 2015 relating to juvenile justice reform;
(2) Obtain and review the juvenile recidivism and program outcome data collected pursuant to section one hundred six, article five of this chapter;
(3) Calculate any state expenditures that have been avoided by reductions in the number of youth placed in out-of-home placements by the Division of Juvenile Services or the Department of Health and Human Resources as reported under section one hundred six, article five of this chapter; and
(4) Institute a uniform process for developing and reviewing performance measurement and outcome measures through data analysis. The uniform process shall include:
(A) The performance and outcome measures for the court, the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Division of Juvenile Services; and
(B) The deadlines and format for the submission of the performance and outcome measures; and
(5) Ensure system accountability and monitor the fidelity of implementation efforts or programs;
(6) Study any additional topics relating to the continued improvement of the juvenile justice system; and
(7) Issue an annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia on or before November 30th of each year, starting in 2016, which shall include:
(A) An assessment of the progress made in implementation of juvenile justice reform efforts;
(B) A summary of the committee's efforts in fulfilling its duties as set forth in this section; and
(C) An analysis of the recidivism data obtained by the committee under this section;
(D) A summary of the averted costs calculated by the committee under this section and a recommendation for any reinvestment of the averted costs to fund services or programs to expand West Virginia's continuum of alternatives for youth who would otherwise be placed in out-of-home placement;
(E) Recommendations for continued improvements to the juvenile justice system.
(d) The Division of Justice and Community Services shall provide staff support for the committee. The committee may request and receive copies of all data, reports, performance measures and other evaluative material regarding juvenile justice submitted from any agency, branch of government or political subdivision to carry out its duties.
(e) The committee shall meet within ninety days after appointment and shall thereafter meet at least quarterly, upon notice by the chair. Eight members shall be considered a quorum.
(f) After initial appointment, members appointed to the committee by the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Delegates or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals, pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, shall serve for a term of two years from his or her appointment and shall be eligible for reappointment to that position. All members appointed to the committee shall serve until his or her successor has been duly appointed.
(g) The committee shall sunset on December 31, 2020, unless reauthorized by the Legislature.