In 2017, 89% of the youth committed to the California Division of Juvenile Facilities were youth of color, including 54% Latino, 32% Black, 1% Asian, and 2% “Other”
Source: Population Overview as of December 31, 2017, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Division of Juvenile Justice
The California state budget projects spending
$303,160
per youth per year of confinement in the Division of Juvenile Facilities for fiscal year 2018-19.
Source: California Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, Budget Subcommittee No. 5, Hearing on the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (Mar. 22, 2018), Agenda: Issue 2 – Juvenile Justice Reform, p. 10.
When surveyed just minutes after their court hearings, most youth were confused and mistaken about what the judge had said. Overall, the youth surveyed recalled only one-third of the conditions that were ordered.
Source: Washington Judicial Colloquies Project: A Guide for Improving Communication and Understanding in Juvenile Court, Teamchild and the Juvenile Indigent Defense Action Network, Models for Change, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (2012), p. 9.
In a study of youth leaving Los Angeles County placements and camps, it was found that:
- 83% had been referred to CPS at least once for maltreatment,
- 39% had a substantiated finding of child maltreatment, and
- 20% had been removed from their home for child abuse or neglect.
Further, 70% of the referrals had begun when the young person was less than 10 years old, a third of which occurred when the child was less than 5 years old.
Jacquelyn McCroskey, Denise Herz, and Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Crossover Youth: Los Angeles County Probation Youth With Previous Referrals To Child Protective Services, Children’s Data Network (2017), p.4.
Youth Detained with Mental Health Problems
Research suggests that about 66% of youth in detention or correctional settings have at least one diagnosable mental health problem, compared with an estimated 9 to 22 percent in the general youth population.
Intersection between Mental Health and the Juvenile Justice System, Literature Review: A Product of the Model Programs Guide, U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, (2017), p. 1.
General Youth Population with Mental Health Problems
Nearly half (48%) of all students who enter residential juvenile justice facilities have an academic achievement level that is below the grade equivalent for their age.
Andrea J. Sedlak and Carol Bruce, Survey of Youth in Residential Placement: Youth Characteristics and Backgrounds, SYRP Report, Rockville, MD, in cooperation with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice. (2017), p. 22.
Funding Futures: Understanding DJJ Realignment Funding (JJRBG) and Making Youth-Centered Investments Under the New Formula
The Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant (JJRBG) provides $208.8 million annually to counties for rehabilitative housing and services for youth realigned from the now-closed Division of Juvenile Justice. SB 823 (2020) realigned these youth to counties with the intent to implement public health approaches, build community-based capacity, and reduce incarceration. AB 118 (2025) restructured the funding formula to support this vision by providing resources to counties that use Less Restrictive Programs (LRPs) and community-based alternatives. The formula recognizes that building effective alternatives requires investment: counties that transfer youth to LRPs—especially community-based programs—receive larger allocations, which can then be reinvested to sustain and expand these services.
This training will review the JJRBG and the recent formula changes. It will also cover JJRBG planning requirements under WIC §§1991 and 1995, including JJCC subcommittee composition and annual plan obligations. Participants will learn how to leverage this funding structure to advocate for youth-centered investments.
We need your help!
CYDC’s vision is that young people in California have access to excellent legal representation, receive fair and equitable treatment in the courts, and be provided with credible, trauma-informed, and community-supported alternatives to incarceration that foster success. We’ve made progress, but we need your help to turn our vision into reality.