Status:
Enacted
Youth Justice

Closing California's State Youth Prisons (2020)

SB 823 / AB 1868
Location
California

In 2020, California enacted SB 823 / AB 1868, which phases the closure of California's Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and instead provides resources to counties for supervision and service delivery to youth in conflict with the law. SB 823/ AB 1868:

  • Ends intake into DJJ on July 1, 2020, except for cases where the youth may be tried in adult court
  • Creates a new state agency to provide oversight and accountability of the realigned system
  • Allocates $209 million in block grant funding to counties with reporting requirements
  • Raises the age of local jurisdiction and confinement to age 25 for serious cases
  • Requires the legislature to establish a new sentencing track for realigned population by March 2021

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Success and Impact

California Enacts Historic Youth Justice Reforms; Closes Youth Prisons

Closes youth prisons, creates protections for sealing diversion records, ended excessive probation supervision for youth not charged with a crime, and...
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