Admits to Va. juvenile centers declines

The number of admissions to juvenile correctional centers in Virginia declined 27 percent over the last three years, The Washington Examiner reports.

Admissions dropped from 833 in 2007 to 608 in 2010, continuing a decade-long trend. But the decline doesn't necessarily mean that fewer juveniles are committing crimes. The state changed its eligibility criteria for commitment to the juvenile justice system in 2000. A juvenile must commit four misdemeanors before he or she can be incarcerated.

Previously a juvenile only had to commit two before becoming eligible to enter the system.