Santa Clara County supervisors has directed officials to provide
a status report on the current number of Santa Clara County wards
committed to the California Youth Authority (CYA), including the
offense categories and all associated costs; describe the new
process for reviewing potential CYA commitments instituted by the
Probation Department and Juvenile Delinquency Court; to outline a
scope of work for the development of short-term and long-term plans
to increase existing local and regional alternatives to CYA; and to
address phasing out the use of the California Youth Authority.
Santa Clara County supervisors has directed officials to provide a status report on the current number of Santa Clara County wards committed to the California Youth Authority (CYA), including the offense categories and all associated costs; describe the new process for reviewing potential CYA commitments instituted by the Probation Department and Juvenile Delinquency Court; to outline a scope of work for the development of short-term and long-term plans to increase existing local and regional alternatives to CYA; and to address phasing out the use of the California Youth Authority.
A series of recently released reports commissioned by the Attorney General of the State of California describe the facilities operated by the State’s California Youth Authority as violent, inhumane, and lacking rehabilitation services. While the Legislature grapples with the future of the California Youth Authority, counties and courts around the State have begun to examine and change local practices of committing youthful offenders to CYA.
Currently, 150 wards from Santa Clara County are committed to CYA. In FY03, a total of $1,260,935 was expended in the Support and Care for Persons account – $1,155,923 was expended for CYA placements and $105,012 expended for CYA alternative placements. The budgeted allocation for the current fiscal year is $1,575,969.
Throughout the Juvenile Detention Reform process, discussions have taken place among members of the juvenile justice system and its partners about the complex needs of youthful offenders, those violent and non-violent, and whether the current function and design of the James and Holden ranches for boys and the Wright Center for girls, which are considered the “rehabilitation facilities,” meet those needs. As the juvenile justice system and its partners examine the current placement options for youthful offenders, the needs of CYA-bound offenders must be taken into consideration.
