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SF Foots Bill for State-Run Juvenile Facilities

Originally posted in the San Francisco Examiner.

The San Francisco Examiner quotes CJCJ’s Policy Analyst Maureen Washburn and Senior Research Fellow Mike Males in an article on the rising per capita costs of California’s Division of Juvenile Justice.

From the article:

Despite a steady decline in the number of youth sent to California correctional facilities, the state could spend more than $300,000 for each young person in the 2017 – 18 fiscal year.

Just nine youths from San Francisco were committed to state correctional facilities as of December 2017, down from about 108 youths in 1995, according to Mike Males, a chief researcher with the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. The nonprofit’s mission is to reduce society’s reliance on incarceration as a solution to social problems.”

A report released by the organization last month shows the rising costs of the Division of Juvenile Justice, California’s state youth correctional system, stand in stark contrast with a steady statewide decline in youth populations committed to its facilities.

Taxpayers in San Francisco and other counties with low DJJ commitments ultimately foot the bill for many counties that rely on state-run juvenile facilities, according to CJCJ Policy Analyst Maureen Washburn, who authored the report.

Washburn explained that counties only reimburse the state for a small share of DJJ costs.

Counties that send young people to DJJ [from juvenile court] are required to pay the state $24,000 a year for each young person, that’s a small fraction of the full cost of [more than] $300,000,” Washburn said. It’s up to state to cover the full cost, on the backs of taxpayers.”

Read the full article on San Francisco Examiner »

Related Links:

Costs Rise Amid Falling Populations at California’s Division of Juvenile Justice

2018 – 19 Budget Proposal Would Expand California’s Youth Correctional System at a Time of Falling Populations

Report: Plan to Expand California Youth Prisons Needs Tinkering