ON THE BRINK - Conditions in California’s Division of Juvenile Justice Remain Bleak as Closure Nears - November 2021

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Calls for closing California’s Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) advance as the system approaches shutdown. DJJ stopped most youth admissions on July 1, 2021 and is scheduled to close by June 30, 2023. The report warns counties not to recreate prison-like conditions, weak oversight, and disparate harms to youth of color. Drawing on public data and youth conversations, it documents bleak facility conditions, failing education, violence culture, family isolation, and poor reentry outcomes, and recommends recall petitions, reinvestment in community alternatives, and stronger state oversight.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

Overview: Impending closure and DJJ today

Juvenile justice realignment under SB 823 and SB 92

Staff transitions and impacts on youth safety

Youth testimony

ON THE BRINK Conditions in California’s Division of Juvenile Justice Remain Bleak as Closure Nears November 2021 Authors: Maureen Washburn, Renée Menart, Tatum O’Sullivan, Madelin Orr, and Leighanne Guettler-James SUMMARY On the brink of closure, California’s Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) requires critical attention. DJJ’s inherent flaws and high costs led state leaders to heed long-standing calls for the closure of its youth correctional institutions in favor of local alternatives, a process known as juvenile justice realignment. DJJ stopped most youth admissions as of July 1, 2021 and will close its doors by June 30, 2023. California’s counties must avoid replicating the state’s problematic prison-like environment, lack of oversight, and disparate impacts on youth of color at the local level. DJJ’s failures, and consequential downfall, should stand as a warning. Repeating these failures locally will endanger our most vulnerable youth. “ Youth Testimony “At DJJ, you get so used to failure. You get so used to things not working for you. Most people get discouraged and give up because you look around and you don’t see anyone succeeding from DJJ. They all gave up and just accept that they are going to be in and out of jail. When you look around and see that, it’s like ‘I don’t see anyone else making it, so why would I?” (Youth Interview, 2021) This investigation is part of a series of reports by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) to spotlight conditions at DJJ (CJCJ, 2019; 2020; 2020a). We rely on publicly available data, data received by request, and, most importantly, conversations with youth1 who were recently confined in DJJ. Our research provides information on: ● California's shifting juvenile justice landscape (p. 3) ● The physical conditions of DJJ facilities (p. 4) ● DJJ’s failing educational programs (p. 6) ● The culture of violence at DJJ (p. 7) ● Youths’ isolation from their families (p. 12) ● DJJ’s poor reentry outcomes (p. 13) ● The state’s harmful lack of oversight (p. 15) We also recommend a path forward to protect youth at DJJ and strengthen oversight of California’s juvenile justice system: ● Return youth to their home counties through legal procedures known as recall petitions. ● Reinvest state funds in community-based alternatives to confinement and probation. ● Improve oversight by California’s Office of Youth and Community Restoration to protect justiceinvolved youth. 1 From 2018 to 2021, we interviewed or worked with nearly 20 youth who were recently confined at DJJ. CJCJ compensated all interviewed youth for their time, energy, and insights. While identifying information has been withheld for their protection, we thank and acknowledge youth participants for their meaningful contributions. OVERVIEW Impending closure and DJJ today California moves its approaches to youth justice closer to home. The state youth correctional system known as DJJ—formerly the California Youth Authority—has operated for 80 years despite rampant violence, isolation, and abuse of young people (CJCJ, 2019) . Its structure was founded on an outdated 19th century penitentiary model of juvenile justice (Macallair, 2015). Amid declines in youth arrests and incarceration, the state has spent over $200 million annually on DJJ in recent years (CJCJ, 2018a) . DJJ’s inherent structural flaws and high costs led state leaders to heed long-standing calls2 for the closure of these outdated institutions3 in favor of local alternatives, a process known as juvenile justice realignment (SB 823, 2020) . Juvenile justice realignment, codified under Senate Bill (SB) 823, recognizes that “justice systeminvolved youth are more successful when they remain connected to their families and communities”(SB 823, 2020). Under this legislation, DJJ stopped youth admissions in most cases4 as of July 1, 2021. Among many changes, SB 823 extends juvenile court jurisdiction for youth with DJJ

FAQs

What major timeline does the report describe for DJJ’s closure?

DJJ stopped most youth admissions as of July 1, 2021, and is required to close by June 30, 2023.

Why does the report argue counties must avoid replicating DJJ locally?

It describes problematic prison-like conditions, lack of oversight, and disparate impacts on youth of color that could be repeated at the local level.

What sources and evidence does the report use?

It relies on publicly available data, data received by request, and conversations with youth recently confined in DJJ.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Mia