WV SB915

Amends West Virginia Code §49-4-720 to grant the Commissioner of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation discretion to oversee security staff and direct care staff at jails or lock-up facilities where detained juveniles may have contact with or come within sight or sound of incarcerated adults

Maintains the general prohibition against detaining or confining juveniles in institutions where they have contact with adults convicted of crimes, awaiting trial on criminal charges, or with adult facility staff

Preserves existing requirement that juveniles convicted or awaiting trial under adult court jurisdiction cannot be held in adult correctional facilities while under age 18

Requires the Division of Juvenile Services to notify the sentencing court within 180 days when a juvenile in custody will turn 18, triggering a mandatory hearing to determine appropriate transfer or disposition

Introduced February 11, 2026, by Senator Morris and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary