Virginia Department Of Criminal Justice Services

The agency’s primary constituents are local and state criminal justice agencies and practitioners, private agencies, private security practitioners and businesses, and the public-at-large. Other constituents include local governments and state agencies, the federal government and advocacy groups/associations. The Department is unique in state government because of its system-wide perspective on criminal justice. While it directs programs and services to each component of the system, it has an overarching responsibility to view the system as a whole, to understand how changes in one part of criminal justice will affect other parts, and to work to assure that plans and programs are comprehensive. The Department of Criminal Justice Services is one of 14 agencies within the Secretariat of Public Safety. The Criminal Justice Services Board is the Department's policy board. It is comprised of representatives from all aspects of the criminal justice system on both state and local levels of government, and most of its members are appointed by the Governor.