Stanislaus County Probation Department*

Finding: That there are inadequate juvenile justice, mental health, and vocational programs to properly rehabilitate the sentenced (long-term) wards being housed in the facility. Currently, both sentenced and un-sentenced wards are housed here. The current programs are designed for short-term wards (about 30 days); so long-term wards (60 days or longer) just receive repetitions of the same short programs. Response: The department agrees with this finding. Although the Juvenile Hall is fortunate to have Behavioral Health & Recovery Services co-located at the facility to provide short term mental health services and substance abuse interventions, these services are not designed for wards serving long term commitments. The programming needs of post-adjudicated youth are different than those of the pre-adjudicated individuals. A more comprehensive array of services is needed including educational and Administration Adult Division Juvenile Division Juvenile Institution 2215 Blue Gum Avenue 801 11th Street, Suite B100 2215 Blue Gum Avenue 2215 Blue Gum Avenue Modesto, CA 95358-1097 Modesto, CA 95354 Modesto, CA 95358-1097 Modesto, CA 95358-1097 Telephone: 209.525.4598 Telephone: 209.567.4120 Telephone: 209.525.5400 Telephone: 209.525.4580 Facsimile: 209.525.5486 Facsimile: 209.567.4188 Facsimile: 209.525.4588 Facsimile: 209.525.5469 July 28, 2008 The Honorable Donald E. Shaver vocational programming, family intervention, transitional youth services, and other programs designed to promote self-discipline and responsibility. The need for a commitment facility has been identified by a number of independent sources as well. The Corrections Standards Authority (CSA) completed its required inspection on April 4, 2007. CSA found no areas of non-compliance with Title 15 regulations and complimented the department on the programming available; however, they cited the need for a commitment facility. The CSA inspection report stated in part, "Your facility does an adequate job of providing appropriate services to all minors; however, it is evident that those post-commitment minors contribute significantly to your crowding conditions and certainly would benefit from a facility and program more closely suited to their needs." The department contracted with two separate consulting firms in 1995 and 2008 to conduct a facility needs assessment and to develop a Juvenile Justice Master Plan. Both reports recommended the construction of a commitment facility to provide expanded services for post-adjudicated wards. Finding: That the Stanislaus County Juvenile Justice program is a critical 2. element in the overall justice system, and its successful operation is to the immediate benefit of Stanislaus County. Response: The department agrees with this finding. The Stanislaus County Juvenile Justice program is a critical element of the overall justice system. The Juvenile Hall is but one element in the justice system and must be seen as a part of a broader set of approaches. The justice system cannot be seen in isolation of each element but as a continuum of responses that must work together in order to be effective in reducing crime and delinquency. There are risks to public safety from the inability to detain youth who should be incarcerated or to impose sanctions on youth who no longer take seriously the authority of the law, the Courts and the Probation Department. The successful operation of the juvenile justice system is imperative to providing public safety. Finding: That the housing capacity of the Stanislaus County Juvenile Justice 3. facility will have become inadequate by the year 2010. In the Juvenile Commitment Needs Assessment, April 2008, it was previously recommended to add at least 80 beds at this location, to bring the total to 238 beds. This addition would bring the housing capacity in line with the recommendation of that assessment as projected through the year 2010. By the year 2020, the projections showed a potential need for a total of 297 beds, or an additional 139 beds more than currently available. July 28, 2008 The Honorable Donald E. Shaver Response: The department agrees with the finding. The current Juvenile Hall opened in 1978 with an 88-bed capacity. The facility was expanded in 2000 and again in 2003 bringing the total current capacity to 158 beds. The Juvenile Detention Needs Assessment completed in April 2008 projected the need for an additional 80 beds by the year 2010 bringing the total capacity to 238 beds. In 1995, Mark Morris & Associates completed the Juvenile Justice Master Plan that included housing needs for incarcerated youth to be at 225 beds by the year 2005 and 301 beds by the year 2015. The projections provided by both consultants appear to be accurate and consistent. Without constructing additional beds, the current juvenile facility is inadequate to meet the projected bed requirements.

Finding: Lack of family involvement in offenders' treatment can affect recidivism. Response: The department agrees with the finding. The juvenile detention facility is not well designed to allow for family involvement other than general visitation that is limited to two-hour visits twice a week. Primarily there is no space available that would accommodate families to attend treatment and/or counseling. Programming resources are limited as well. Because of the lack of a long term commitment facility, many of the higher risk youth must be placed out of county making it difficult for the family to be involved. Without the family participation many of the youth return to the same lifestyle they had prior to placement services. RESPONSE TO RECOMMENDATIONS The following is the Probation's Department's response to the recommendations related to the Juvenile Detention Facility.