Associated Press Published

W.Va. Juvenile Panel Expands Mission, Changes Name

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A state juvenile commission has a new name, a new chairman and an expanded mission.

The West Virginia Supreme Court says the Adjudicated Juvenile Rehabilitation Review Commission made the changes this week during its quarterly meeting. Its new name is the Juvenile Justice Commission.
 
Supreme Court Justice Margaret Workman established the commission in 2011 to monitor the state’s juvenile justice system. It focused on children in the Division of Juvenile Services’s custody.
 
The commission’s focus will now include all out-of-home placements for troubled juveniles.
 
Workman stepped down as chairwoman and appointed Mercer County Circuit Court Judge Omar Aboulhosn as chairman.
 
Aboulhosn presided over a lawsuit challenging the treatment of juvenile offenders in state facilities. He appointed the commission to monitor compliance with a settlement of the case.