Email from Senator Tammy Mulchi Accountability, Public Safety, Role of Government in Juvenile Justice Accountability, Public Safety, Role of Government in Juvenile Justice Dear Friend, The Virginia Commission on Youth is currently considering whether the powers and duties of the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman should be expanded to include juveniles committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice. It is a serious issue, and I believe it deserves a thoughtful, honest conversation. When the Commonwealth takes custody of a young person, we have a duty to make sure that young person is safe, treated lawfully, and given a real chance to turn his or her life around. But that cannot be the only concern on the table. Our juvenile justice system also has to protect victims, support law enforcement and correctional staff, hold offenders accountable, and respect the taxpayers who pay for the system. As we look for the right services and support for juvenile offenders, we cannot lose sight of the people harmed by their crimes. I believe our justice system should give young people a path toward accountability and change. At the same time, rehabilitation should never come at the expense of public safety, victims’ rights, or real consequences for criminal behavior. Victims and their families deserve to know they are heard, their safety matters, and justice will not be pushed aside. Before we expand the authority, staffing, or budget of another government office, I think we need to ask a simple question: Is bigger government really the answer? I believe government should be limited, efficient, and accountable. Creating another layer of bureaucracy should not be our first response every time a problem comes up. Before expanding the Children's Ombudsman's jurisdiction, we should first look closely at whether the safeguards already in place through the Department of Juvenile Justice, the courts, law enforcement, and other state agencies are working the way they should. If they are not, then we need to identify the specific failures and fix them. We should not simply assume that expanding another state office—with more employees, more spending, and possibly overlapping authority—is the best answer. Government programs tend to grow over time. Once new authority is granted, it is rarely given back. That is why every proposed expansion should come with clear responsibilities, firm limits, measurable goals, and honest transparency about what it will cost taxpayers. Good government is not about how many offices we create. It is about whether government does its core jobs well. There is another part of this conversation that I believe deserves more attention: the victims of juvenile crime. A lot of the discussion around juvenile justice reform focuses, understandably, on the needs, treatment, rehabilitation, and rights of the offender. Those things matter. But we also have to ask: What about the person who was robbed? What about the family whose home was broken into? What about the person who was assaulted? What about the family grieving after a violent crime? Those Virginians have rights, too. No victim should ever feel that their government is more focused on protecting the person who committed the crime than on the person who suffered because of it. Rehabilitation matters, especially for young offenders who still have the chance to change the direction of their lives. A strong juvenile justice system should help them do that while making it very clear that criminal behavior has consequences. We also need to remember the men and women who work inside Virginia's juvenile justice system. DJJ correctional officers, counselors, teachers, medical professionals, and other employees often work in challenging and sometimes dangerous environments. Any expanded Ombudsman process should make room for legitimate complaints and encourage people to report real problems. At the same time, state employees deserve fairness and due process when allegations are made against them. An allegation should be investigated fairly. It should not automatically become a presumption of wrongdoing. New oversight authority should not make employees afraid to enforce reasonable rules, maintain discipline, or take necessary action to protect themselves or others. Their safety has to be part of this discussion, too. I believe deeply in government accountability. If a state agency mistreats someone in its custody, wastes taxpayer dollars, ignores serious problems, or fails to follow the law, we should ask hard questions and demand answers. But accountability cannot run in only one direction. The Commonwealth must be accountable for how it runs juvenile facilities. Employees must be accountable for doing their jobs professionally. And juvenile offenders must be accountable for the choices that brought them into the justice system. That balance matters. The goal should be to help young offenders understand that choices have consequences, build the skills and character to make better choices, and eventually return to their communities ready to live productive, law-abiding lives. There is an important place for rehabilitation in juvenile justice. Young people can make terrible decisions and still turn their lives around. We should offer education, treatment, structure, discipline, and opportunities that help them do exactly that. But compassion and accountability are not opposites. We can protect juveniles from abuse while also protecting the employees responsible for supervising them. We can support rehabilitation while standing firmly with victims. And we can demand accountability from government without automatically creating more government. If the answer truly requires another government office or added authority, policymakers should be able to explain clearly why the systems we already have cannot accomplish the same goal. Our responsibility is not to build a bigger juvenile justice bureaucracy. It is to build a safer Commonwealth. That means protecting young people in state custody when protection is warranted. It also means remembering the victims whose lives were changed by crime, supporting the men and women who maintain order in our facilities, demanding personal responsibility from offenders, and ensuring every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely. Those principles should remain at the center of Virginia's juvenile justice policy. My staff and I are here to help, so please reach out anytime if we can be of service. You can call us at 434.374.5129 or email [email protected]. Shout out ot Halifax Sheriff's Office, Cpl. Thomas Moore and K-9 Maddy! A Halifax County Sheriff’s Office K-9 found a missing 89-year-old in the Clover area Thursday afternoon. It was about 4 p.m. Thursday when the 911 center received a report of the man missing on Mosley Ferry Road, according to Halifax County Sheriff Fred S. Clark. Deputies and investigators responded along with members of the Clover Volunteer Fire Department. The Halifax County Rescue Squad was placed on standby. After law enforcement arrived, Cpl. Thomas Moore and K-9 Maddy started a track. After looking for about 15 minutes, Maddy led officers to the missing man, who was about 200 yards from his home in a wooded area. Read more here: Halifax County K-9 Finds Missing 89-Year-Old Near Clover, VA TO HELP WITH SMOOTH CRUISING, VDOT LIFTS LANE CLOSURES FOR LABOR DAY GETAWAYS VDOT provides traffic and travel information to plan ahead As families and friends gear up for final summer adventures, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) encourages motorists to plan ahead, stay alert and keep safety top of mind throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend. VDOT will be suspending many highway work zones and lifting most lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Friday, Sept. 4, until noon on Tuesday, Sept. 8. While lane closures will be lifted in most locations, motorists may encounter semi-permanent work zones that remain in place during this time. Check VDOT’s Travel Advisories for the latest travel alerts in your area and around the state. Additionally, VDOT offers several resources to help plan travel ahead of time. PLAN AHEAD WITH 511 VIRGINIA AND VIEW THE TRAVEL TRENDS MAP VDOT’s free mobile 511 app offers information about traffic, incidents, congestion and construction as well as access to traffic cameras, weather, electric vehicle charging stations and more. By calling 511 from any phone in Virginia, use 511’s “speak ahead” option for hands-free and eyes-free audible traffic alerts for incidents and construction along your route. Traffic information is also available at 511.vdot.virginia.gov. The 511 Virginia website also includes a travel trends map for the Fourth of July holiday timeframe, showing peak congestion periods anticipated on Virginia interstates during the upcoming holiday travel. While it cannot precisely predict when congestion will occur this year, it can help motorists avoid travel when traffic has historically moved the slowest. Using the menu at the top of 511.vdot.virginia.gov, click “Holiday Travel” to select the map. Travelers are advised to plan for extra time to get to and from the many events across the commonwealth to mark America's 250th anniversary. NORTHERN VIRGINIA EXPRESS LANES SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION Find directional schedules for the reversible I-95 and I-395 Express Lanes, and information for the I-495 Express Lanes at expresslanes.com. HAMPTON ROADS TUNNELS AND OTHER INFORMATION Travel to Virginia Beach — Peninsula traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) during construction. If traveling to Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach. Travel to Outer Banks — Traffic to the North Carolina Outer Banks should use I-664 and the MMMBT as an alternative to the HRBT to save time during construction. From I-664 south, take I-64 west (exit 15, Chesapeake/Virginia Beach) to exit 291B [Chesapeake Expressway (Route 168)/Great Bridge/Nags Head]. Continue south on Route 168 to the Outer Banks. STAY SAFE Here are some additional tips for safely navigating the roadways during the holiday travel period: Put your phone down and don’t drive distracted. If you plan to drink, have a designated driver. If you see an impaired driver on the road, call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so. Always wear your seat belt — it’s your best defense against impaired and distracted drivers. Use caution and stay alert as more pedestrians and cyclists are outdoors enjoying the holiday weekend. On long drives, consider stopping at one of VDOT’s 43 rest areas to stretch and properly dispose of trash from your vehicle. Obey the “Move Over” law, requiring motorists to move over one lane, if possible, for all vehicles with flashing lights, flares, or warning signs stopped on the side of the road. If drivers are unable to move over, they should reduce their speed and use caution. For questions or to report hazardous road conditions, contact VDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service Center by visiting my.vdot.virginia.gov or calling 800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623). With an evolving mission beyond education savings, Virginia529 is now Commonwealth Savers, offering a variety of saving programs to ensure Virginians — and beyond — achieve their financial goals. Below is information on three savings programs. Invest529 is Virginia’s state-sponsored, tax-advantaged education savings program that helps families prepare for future learning costs. Savings can be used for college, community college, trade school, apprenticeships, student loan repayments, and K-12 expenses. New in 2026: Families can also use Invest529 savings for credential and certificate programs, as well as expanded K-12 expenses like tutoring, academic supplies, and testing fees, giving Virginia families flexible options to support lifelong learning. Learn more at Invest529.com. ______________________________________________ ABLEnow is Virginia’s state-sponsored, tax-advantaged savings program that allows individuals with disabilities to save for expenses that enhance independence and quality of life, while maintaining eligibility for vital means-tested benefits. ABLEnow savings can be used for qualified disability expenses like housing, transportation, education, assistive technology, and other needs. New in 2026: ABLE accounts are now open to six million more Americans, thanks to expanded eligibility for individuals who acquired their disability before age 46 (previously 26), giving more people and families the opportunity to save, plan and build greater financial independence. Learn more at ABLEnow.com. ______________________________________________ RetirePath is Virginia’s state-facilitated automatic enrollment retirement savings program that helps workers without access to an employer-sponsored plan build finanical security hrough simple, automatic payroll deductions. The program is free for employers and low-cost for savers, making it easier for thousands of Virginians to plan for the future. New in 2026: RetirePath is now open to Virginia employers with 5 or more employees who have been in business for 2 or more years, and do not currently offer a retirement plan. Learn more at RetirePathVA.com. When I first asked for the support of the people of the 9th Senate District, I committed to representing our communities as a common-sense conservative. In Richmond, I have kept my word by standing up for our values, working to lower costs, and standing with law enforcement. As a member of the Virginia Senate, I need your help and support to ensure that our common-sense, conservative agenda advances. May I count on you? I ask for your partnership, not just because we share a common worldview, but because I have established a conservative legislative record you can count on to get the results we all deserve. Your contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, or whatever you can afford will make a positive difference in allowing me to carry our conservative message and positive vision across our District. DONATE TODAY Email Us P.O. Box 145, Clarksville, VA 23927 (434) 374 5129 Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email Paid for and Authorized by Mulchi 4 Senate Senator Tammy Mulchi | P.O. Box 145 | Clarksville, VA 23927 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice