Judge Cites 'Serious Problems' at Calif. Youth Prisons
Although he stopped short of appointing the receiver sought by reform advocates, a California judge said at a hearing in Oakland yesterday that the state’s youth prisons are in serious disarray.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jon Tigar indicated that his patience had worn thin with the state’s slow progress toward completing a court-ordered overhaul to address “very, very serious problems” with California’s juvenile detention system, reports the Mercury News. The state Division of Juvenile Justice has missed numerous deadlines for improvement set in a 2004 settlement agreement, and could be held in contempt of court. Tigar could also bar the admission of new detainees, or appoint a receiver to run the youth prison system.
Presently, the system reportedly spends about $250,000 annually on each of its approximately 1,900 juvenile inmates aged 12 to 25. That amount seemingly could fund the secure community-based treatment facilities that reform advocates are seeking, according to the judge.
Because many juvenile offenders come from troubled homes and have substance abuse and mental health issues, a treatment-based approach with opportunities for education will be more effective than simply confining them in filthy, deteriorating buildings, all sides agree.
