The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors received an update on May 18 from the county’s Probation Department regarding the Juvenile Justice Realignment Plan, which outlines best practices for youth offenders who will be transferred, or realigned, from the state’s Division of Juvenile Justice into local facilities in the custody of Santa Barbara County.
The plan anticipates the closure of the state Division of Juvenile Justice on July 1, per Senate Bill 823, which was passed in September by the California Legislature. The new policy "realigns" the responsibility for care, custody, and supervision of youth offenders — who are up to 25 years old, in some cases — to counties, which will be allocated funding to meet the youths’ needs.
All services for committed youth will remain in place, with additional services and programs built in collaboration with community-based organizations. These new services, which will be provided as needed to youth at the Susan J. Gionfriddo Juvenile Justice Center in Santa Maria and Los Prietos Boys Camp in Santa Barbara, will be based on individual treatment plans and will include educational assistance for youth working toward earning their high school diplomas. The Probation Department already offers services such as mentorship programs and moral reasoning therapy, a k a Moral Reconation Therapy.