Virginia Code 16.1-322.5: State Board may authorize private construction, operation, etc., of local or regional detention homes, etc.
A. The State Board of Juvenile Justice may authorize a county or city or any combination of counties, cities, or towns established pursuant to § 16.1-315 to contract with a private entity for the financing, site selection, acquisition, construction, maintenance, leasing, management or operation of a local or regional detention home or other secure facility, or any combination of those services. Any project authorized pursuant to this article shall be consistent with the statewide plan developed pursuant to § 16.1-309.4.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 16.1-322.5
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- detention home: means a local, regional or state public or private locked residential facility that has construction fixtures designed to prevent escape and to restrict the movement and activities of children held in lawful custody. See Virginia Code 16.1-228
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. Source: FDIC
- law: means the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Law embraced in this chapter. See Virginia Code 16.1-228
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
- State Board: means the State Board of Juvenile Justice. See Virginia Code 16.1-228
B. Any project the State Board authorizes pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be subject to the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.) and subject to the requirements and limitations set out below.
1. Contracts entered into under the terms of this article shall be with an entity submitting an acceptable response pursuant to a request for proposals. An acceptable response shall be one which meets all the requirements in the request for proposals. However, no such contract may be entered into unless the private contractor demonstrates that it has:
a. The qualifications, experience and management personnel necessary to carry out the terms of this contract;
b. The financial resources to provide indemnification for liability arising from detention home or other secure facility management projects;
c. Evidence of past performance of similar contracts; and
d. The ability to comply with all applicable federal and state constitutional standards; federal, state, and local laws; court orders; and standards for a detention home or other secure facility.
2. Contracts awarded under the provisions of this article, including contracts for the provision of juvenile correctional facilities or programs or for the lease or use of public lands or buildings for use in the operation of facilities, may be entered into for a period of up to thirty years, subject to the requirements for expenditure of funds by the local governing body or bodies.
3. No contract for juvenile correctional facilities or programs shall be entered into unless the following requirements are met:
a. The contractor provides audited financial statements for the previous five years or for each of the years the contractor has been in operation if fewer than five years, and provides other financial information as requested; and
b. The contractor provides an adequate plan of indemnification, specifically including indemnity for civil rights claims. The indemnification plan shall be adequate to protect the county or city or combination of counties, cities, or towns established pursuant to § 16.1-315 and public officials from all claims and losses incurred as a result of the contract. Nothing herein is intended to deprive a contractor or the county or city or combination of counties, cities, or towns established pursuant to § 16.1-315 of the benefits of any law limiting exposure to liability or setting a limit on damages.
4. No contract for correctional services shall be executed unless:
a. The proposed contract has been reviewed and approved by the State Board;
b. An appropriation for the services to be provided under the contract has been expressly approved as is otherwise provided by law;
c. The juvenile correctional facilities or programs proposed by the contract are of at least the same quality as those routinely provided by a governmental agency to similarly situated children; and
d. An evaluation of the proposed contract demonstrates a cost benefit to the county or city or combination of counties, cities, or towns established pursuant to § 16.1-315 when compared to alternative means of providing the services through governmental agencies.