Comments on: Should California shut down its juvenile prisons?

By: adjgl

adjgl — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:57:00 +0000

They should just shut down all these dangerous juvenil jails.I was victimise in them my self and staff were at fault.

By: Medell Frost

Medell Frost — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:56:00 +0000

The problem is that there is no systematic oversight of county programs,
and the quality varies tremendously from county to county, as does
their reliance on the state’s remaining correctional facilities. java programmer

By: yesee

yesee — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:48:00 +0000

u should try contacting his counselor.
when he sent u the paper to see if u can get approved for a visit his counselors name should be there

By: yesee

yesee — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:44:00 +0000

this place is stupid. period -_______-

By: Kellyterinacarter

Kellyterinacarter — Sat, 14 May 2011 08:33:00 +0000

no one called me or my mom to say my brother was transferring down to ventura every time we call no one calls us back or they say they cant help us PLEASE IF ANY ONE IS OUT THEIR AND LISTENING I NEED HELP TO BRING MY BROTHER BACK TO THE BAY HE WAS IN FIRE CAMP AND GOT IN TO TROUBLE BUT NOTHING SERIOUS AND THEN WAS TRANSFERRED TO STOCKTON AND FROM THEIR THEY TRANSFERRED HIM TO VENTURA WE LIVE IN SAN JOSE AND CAN NOT TRAVEL THAT FAR TO SEE HIM WE HAVE A FAMILY OF 12 MY BROTHER IS TURNING 19 NEXT MONTH I JUST DONT THINK THIS IS FAIR I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY NO ONE IS ANSWERING OUR CALLS OR GIVING US ANSWERS HE STILL IS HUMAN HE DIDNT KILL ANY ONE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT PLEASE HELP US!!!!!! MY EMAIL IS KELLYTERINACARTER@YAHOO.COM

By: Kellyterinacarter

Kellyterinacarter — Sat, 14 May 2011 08:29:00 +0000

My brother got transfered down south but we live in the bay is their anyone that i can talk to to get him back home

By: Veronica Ligon-Cravin

Veronica Ligon-Cravin — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 02:52:00 +0000

I just read this article as well as the two comments made by Charliecorum and John K. and I very much see the logic in their perspective, however, I’m coming from the perspective of having a son that was recently sentenced to CYA and is waiting to be shipped off. Let me first off say that overall, I DO NOT believe locking up youth is the answer – do I have a proposed, concrete solution? No, unfortunately I don’t but do see that a lot of these kids need intervention BEFORE it gets to the point of being sentenced to CYA. I know we are in a budget crisis but we need to reevaluate where the little money we do have left I’d going and truly think about what’s important. I mean, is the lottery a necessity? Is it REALLY logical for one person to win 1.5 million dollars? We did without it before, we can do with out it again and take that money and start investing in it into our youth. As it stands, the probation department in Santa Clara County won’t even provide bus passes to youth to get around to legitimate places. All they’ve really done is give random referrals to job fairs and such. My point is this – if the conditions and treatment of youth are as bad as have been reported, then yes, I am in favor of the closing of CYA however I don’t think this is Justus matter of ‘close or don’t close’ but also a matter or reforming the entire juvenile justice system!

By: John K.

John K. — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:25:00 +0000

Do we really think 58 solutions to juvenile violence are going to be better and less expensive? The state needs a place for the 1% of the worst juvenile offender arrests. In most cases, it’s not the counties. The counties need a place to send the worst of the worst, without sending them straight to prison. DJJ needs to continue to reform and return to some of the program models that work for this difficult population. Disbanding DJJ would be a step back, not a step forward.

By: Charliecorum

Charliecorum — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 07:30:00 +0000

I have been a volunteer in the DJJ since 1991. I believe the DJJ should NOT be closed. Now that there will be only four facilities and two camps left, the DJJ should be restructured not disbanded. Many counties are not going to be able to properly care for the tougher youth that are committed to the DJJ. County facilities will be more at risk and less violent youth will be influenced negatively. The more serious offenders will most likely be locked down and deprived services and opportunity for rehabilitation. Youth in the DJJ can stay until age 25. I have witnessed, on a regular basis, DJJ youth mature around age 18 and decide to quit gang life and begin to change their ways. Having no DJJ, will force youth on their 18th birthday to go to adult State prison. There they will have to survive and will be forced to continue in gangs and violence. Closing completely the DJJ will be giving up on our troubled youth. It will be throwing them to the lions. I would encourage the Governor and our politicians to look at the DJJ Southern Youth Correctional Reception Center and Clinic (SYCRCC) in Norwalk. Cassandra Stansberry, the DJJ Superintendent at Norwalk has implemented Peace & Unity at Norwalk that has reduced violence by 70% over the past three years. Over my 19 years in the DJJ, I have never seen such a successful strategy. Incentives, family participation and community involvement are a big part of Peace & Unity. It is working. The atmosphere at the DJJ facility in Norwalk is unique and safe for the youth. To get the cost down ($234,000 per ward), the DJJ needs to renegotiate contracts that were made when the population was much, much larger. Things can be changed, like at the Norwalk DJJ, and the juvenile State prison system for youth can work and be successful again. Don’t give up on our troubled youth. Keep the DJJ at four facilties, 2 fire camps and restructure. And come and take a look at SYCRCC in Norwalk. Charlie Corum, Rosemead, CA