CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Four people have been indicted following an investigation into incidents at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, according to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
The indictments, which include sex and contraband charges, were presented by the Chesterfield County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office after a months-long investigation by DJJ special agents.
The Multi-Jurisdiction Grand Jury indicted the following individuals:
Rejae T. C. Cuffee, 35, of Richmond, faces five felony counts including carnal knowledge of a resident of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice who at the time was 15 years of age or older; felony possession of a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance (Methadone and Oxycodone), and delivering vape pens to a resident of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.
Kathryn S. Brice, 53, of Albemarle County, was indicted on three felony counts related to a conspiracy to acquire and provide a cell phone to a person committed to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.
Francheska S. Hunt, 38, of Richmond, faces four felony charges relating to providing contraband to a person committed to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.
Isaiah D. Zampini, 20, of Chesterfield County, was indicted on four felony counts related to a conspiracy to acquire and provide a cell phone to a person committed to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice.
According to a DJJ press release, previously employed individuals who were indicted are no longer employed at the Department of Juvenile Justice. The department did not indicate who among the indicted worked at the facility.
"The Department of Juvenile Justice prioritizes, enforces and proactively ensures safety of all staff and youth in the Bon Air Correctional Facility. Significant security improvements over the past few years and regulated quarterly searches lead to the discovery of multiple items of contraband in Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center. Special agents with the Department of Juvenile Justice’s Community Engagement Unit immediately launched and coordinated a multi-agency investigation into the source of these items. Among the found items were cell phones and vape pens. The results of the investigation determined that the recovered contraband was connected to a group of individuals outside of the facility," the press release stated.
Earlier this year, the Office of the State Inspector General (OSIG) announced it would open an investigation into Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, Virginia's only youth prison. That came in response to a request from the Commission on Youth amid "disturbing reports" of incidents at the facility in recent months.
For several months, CBS 6 has been investigating concerning conditions of critically low staffing levels, security and safety issues and increasing reports of residents lighting fires in their units. The reports have led to growing calls from state lawmakers and juvenile justice board members for a more in-depth analysis of the facility's operations.
CBS 6 was also first to report on a 2024 safety and culture assessment which identified at the time overwhelmed and unsatisfied employees who felt unsafe along with youth experiencing "high levels of idleness and boredom" and an "abundant lack of meaningful engagement."
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
