Report on the Juvenile Hall

The California Association of Probation Institution Administrators (CAPIA) describes the mission of the juvenile detention system: "...To build and support a Juvenile Detention System which utilizes the assessment of risk, eliminates unnecessary detention of youth, provides a safe and humane institutional environment for those residents in detention, develops a professional child supervision staff who recognize and respect the dignity of residents, and demonstrates a level of care which serves as a model to other states and jurisdictions."

The facility itself makes use of the California System of Care, which was brought into existence by the Children’s Mental Health Services Act. According to materials provided by the facility, the System of Care has the following essential values: A. Family preservation – children shall be maintained in their homes with their families whenever possible. B. Least restrictive setting – when out-of-home placement is necessary, children must be placed in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their needs. C. Natural setting – children benefit most from mental health services provided in their natural environments, where they live and learn. These include home, school, foster home or a juvenile detention center. D. Interagency collaboration and coordinated service delivery system – the primary child serving agencies shall collaborate at the policy management and service levels to provide a coordinated goal directed system of care for seriously emotionally disturbed children and their families. E. Family involvement – family participation is an integral part of assessment, evaluation, intervention and treatment. F. Cultural competence – service effectiveness is dependent upon both culturally relevant and competent service deliveries.

The Juvenile Hall web site (http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/prb/org/juvenil.html) also provides the following summary of the beliefs of the facility’s management and staff: A. Youth not needing secure detention should be provided less restrictive alternatives to incarceration. B. Youth have the ability to make positive changes. C. Youth have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. D. Youth deserve fair and consistent discipline and a safe and humane environment. Page 1-30 Report on the Juvenile Hall 2001–2002 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Report E. Youth need institutional programs and services which foster physical, moral, emotional, and intellectual growth. F. Youth need positive role models. G. Institutional staff are our most valuable resource.

The Juvenile Hall offers the following: · Volunteers · Barrios Unidos · Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Alateen · Planned Parenthood · Mentoring / Job Readiness Program · Religious Programs · Community Speakers · Educational (After School) Programs · Young Men as Fathers · Case Planning.

Juvenile Hall offers these Detention Alternatives: · Home Supervision / Intensive Home Supervision / Electronic Monitoring · Weekend Work Program · Youth Community Restoration Program (Y-CORP).

When a juvenile is held beyond ten days, a “needs assessment” is performed by a Probation Aide (to determine the level of service or detention that is most appropriate, given the needs of the three stakeholders involved: the victim, the community, and the offender). Services may include mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, anger management sessions, or victim awareness training. Also available are “Life Skills,” job development, and pre-placement programs.

Inmates stay in the facility for an average of 8.9 days.

The facility recognizes and addresses a continuum of issues including educational assessment, continuing alternative education, probation issues, substance abuse counseling and mental health.

A doctor and/or nurse is available to incarcerated juveniles from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily. According to Probation Department literature, an equivalent of two full-time clinicians are available in the Hall. These professionals provide assessment, treatment, and crisis intervention.

The Juvenile Hall facility is thirty-five years old and operates on a 24/7 basis. As acknowledged by Juvenile Hall staff, the building shows signs of aging and heavy use.

Juvenile Hall does not have adequate heating and has no air conditioning systems.

The building has two units, with twenty beds each. The “B” unit is used to house younger and less sophisticated detainees. (“Sophistication” is a term used in the Report on the Juvenile Hall Page 1-31 2001–2002 Santa Cruz County Grand Jury Final Report detention industry to describe an offender’s familiarity with and adeptness in crime and detention.) The “A” unit houses the older and more sophisticated offenders.

The facility houses youths between the ages of 12 and 18, male as well as female. Females and younger males are housed apart from older youths. A separate facility is used to house offenders aged 19 and older.

Children under the age of 12 are the responsibility of Child Protective Services and are not housed at Juvenile Hall.

Very few of the females in the facility are there for violent crimes or crimes with victims.

Approximately 85% to 90% of the boys and essentially all of the girls housed in the facility are there for what the staff regards as drug-related reasons.

The facility offers a wide variety of training programs.

The facility does not have a covered gym.

County buses do not service Juvenile Hall. The closest bus stop is one mile from Juvenile Hall. Although bus vouchers are available to parents and juveniles, these are not used often. Juvenile Hall staff confirms that the facility’s location does create difficulties for parents in accessing the facility. Conclusions