As many of you know, Governor Newsom announced that all young people in Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) will be returned home starting January 2021 --- ultimately closing all four state-run facilities.  Congratulations to all the folks who have been advocating for the shutdown of DJJ over many years and decades.  This is a historic WIN.

As youth return home to LA County the Probation Department has been designated as the place for their return.  We need to intervene on all levels, starting at this week’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting.  We want to let LA County know how we feel about it and guide the county to redirect the transfers (without putting young people in additional risk) and advocate early on this issue.  The Board of Supervisors have a motion for this Tuesday to address the closing of DJJ (see motion below – full link as well as summary).  We have a draft letter that we would like for you to sign onto.

We ask you to do the following:

1.       Add comments/suggestions on the document if you have any

2.       Fill out this form and email your logo to kparekh@childrensdefense.org

3.       Take Action at LA Board of Supervisors Meeting on Tuesday morning

The Letter is here: www.bit.ly/DJJLetter

Please send all comments and logos by Monday, 5/25 4 pm to kparekh@childrensdefense.org. Feel free to call/text/email me if you would like to discuss this further – 323-490-0601,  .  We will be sending the final letter to the BOS on Monday at 5pm.

We also encourage you to join the meeting, add a public comment and / or write your personal letter to the BOS.

Information about Tuesday’s Virtual Board of Supervisor Meeting can be found here:

http://bos.lacounty.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=z_F1obtciO4%3d&portalid=1

Telephonic Public Comment For the May 26, 2020 Board meeting, you may address the Board during the live virtual meeting as follows:

• On all regular Agenda Items (excluding Public Hearing Agenda Items) by calling (877) 226-8215 and entering the participant code 7138614 starting at 9:30 a.m.

• On Public Hearing Agenda Item Nos. 1 through 10 by calling (877) 336-4440 and entering the participant code 972264 starting at 10:00 a.m. Please listen carefully to the prompts for instructions on providing live testimony to the Board.

Written Testimony Written public comments may be submitted through our website at: https://publiccomment.bos.lacounty.gov, which will become part of the official record. Please submit your public comment on Friday, May 22, 2020 after the posting of the supplemental agenda and up until the close of the Board meeting.

For your convenience, you may also submit public comment by mail to the following address: (Please note the Agenda Item number and Board meeting date on your correspondence.) Attention: Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Board Operations Division, Executive Office 500 West Temple Street, Room 383 Los Angeles, CA 90012

In preparation for Tuesday’s Board meeting, please see motion: http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/146019.pdf and the summary by Joe Maizish below:

22, pp. 19-20, Sups. Ridley-Thomas/Kuehl: . Preparing Los Angeles County for the Closure of the State’s Division of Juvenile Justice:
A.  Direct the Youth Justice Work Group to create a subcommittee that includes participation from all necessary stakeholders including (listing many) to create an initial plan to facilitate the transition of youth currently committed to the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to the County, with the DJJ Transition Subcommittee to report in writing in 120 days with recommendations that include: (1) How the new DJJ population may be incorporated into the Work Group plan for justice-involved youth; (2) Strategies to prevent more youth from being tried as adults under the new system; (3) Strategies to increase community-based alternatives to detention for youth who would have been at DJJ; (3) The status and capacity of the juvenile facilities to serve the needs of DJJ-committed youth; (4) Preventing punitive practices previously eliminated or being phased out from being reinstituted; (5) Ensuring oversight of the treatment of this new population; and (6) Any budgetary, legal or legislative implications or changes needed for the best system possible, including State funding for the rehabilitative programs and services needed to serve this population;
B.  Data:for this effort: Direct the CEO and other relevant County Departments to make necessary data available to the Subcommittee regarding the above objectives and help the County prepare for the closure of the DJJ; and
C.  CEO support: Direct the CEO Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Division, to be available to the Subcommittee to support its efforts, and report the Board if legislative advocacy is needed.
Motion: http://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/bos/supdocs/146019.pdf 

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