Plagued by years of abuse allegations, the California Department of Juvenile Justice and the youth facilities it ran, were shut down earlier this summer. Criminal justice reform advocates considered the closures a victory, but now have other concerns. They contend most relocated youth are being moved into juvenile hall facilities that were not designed for long-term detentions and that lack adequate rehabilitation programs and resources. County probation chiefs have also raised concerns that kids who left for state facilities with no history of drug problems or gang affiliations are returning to their home counties with both, raising questions about the conditions within the waning days of state facilities. We talk to experts about those allegations, the stories shared by children coming out of state care, and the future of juvenile justice in California.
California State Youth Detention Facilities Are Closed. What Happens to Incarcerated Youth Now?
An empty housing unit at Juvenile Hall in San Francisco, Calif. on Thursday, September 20, 2018. (San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images)
Guests:
Dan Macallair, executive director and co-founder, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice
Marlon Yarber, chief probation officer, Sacramento County
Israel Salazar Villa, deputy director, California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice
Jason Okonofua, assistant professor, Psychology Department, University of California Berkeley
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