Juvenile Detention Home

History

The Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home was established in 1973 to better provide for the public-safety needs of Chesterfield County residents. Its purpose is to ensure safe, secure custody for juveniles who are charged with or who have been found guilty of criminal offenses and are awaiting further court action.

The original detention home was a 22-bed facility. Pat O’Hare was its first director. In 1977, Dave Reeve became director. In 1981, a gymnasium was constructed and in 1985, a new wing was added providing an additional eleven beds. In 1995, the current director, D. Joe Campbell, took over the 33-bed facility.

By that time, the 33-bed detention home had become overcrowded. The growing number of juvenile arrests and population growth contributed to the lack of space. The Department of Juvenile Justice’s philosophy at this time encouraged the courts to place additional emphasis on holding juveniles more accountable for their crimes through increased services and longer periods of incarceration. Legislative changes supported the “tougher approach” in dealing with juveniles who are involved in criminal activity. With the emergence of these trends and the efforts to control them, the detention home’s 33-bed capacity was deemed extremely insufficient. Long-range plans to expand the home got under way.

In 1999, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court moved to its current location on Lucy Corr Boulevard, allowing expansion to begin on the detention home. The project increased space for admissions, medical treatment, visitation, housing, education, food service and multipurpose uses.

In 2003, the detention home’s capacity grew from 33 beds to 90. On March 6, 2003, a dedication ceremony was held to name the new facility after the late Douglas Woodfin Murphey, a judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Virginia. Murphey was selected for the honor because of his leadership and advocacy of the original detention home.