Sen. Skinner Praises Signing of SB 823, Closing Youth Prisons

Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today praised Gov. Newsom’s decision to sign SB 823, a major criminal justice reform measure that will lead to the closure of California’s three remaining youth prisons. Under SB 823, starting July 1, 2021, the state will begin to phase out the California Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) by halting all transfers of youth to state DJJ facilities. At that time, system-impacted youth will begin to serve their sentences in local settings closer to their families and communities.

“Thank you, Governor Newsom, for signing SB 823. This landmark reform recognizes what we’ve known for years: Youth are far better served with trauma-responsive behavioral programs rather than being treated as criminals,” Sen. Skinner said. “With SB 823, the era of youth prisons in California is over.”

SB 823 was a collaborative effort of Gov. Newsom’s administration and the Legislature, including the Senate Public Safety Budget Committee, for which Sen. Skinner is chair.

Research has shown that youth who have engaged in behaviors that led them to the criminal justice system have a much better chance of avoiding recidivism and leading productive lives as adults if they receive culturally informed mental health, behavior management, and supportive services nearer to their homes and families.

The new law also establishes the Office of Youth and Community Restoration in the California Health and Human Services Agency to oversee the realignment of the state’s juvenile justice system and the efficacy of locally produced programs and facilities for system-impacted youth. It also creates the Juvenile Justice Realignment Block Grant program to fund county-based custody, care, and supervision of youth who are realigned from the state DJJ facilities or who were otherwise eligible for commitment to the DJJ before its closure.

SB 823 also aligns California with a dozen other states that have closed their youth prisons during the past few decades, and it reflects the decades-long downward trend in youth crime in California and the nation. The new law also recognizes the twin realities that the state no longer needs youth prisons and that youth are more likely to succeed in local, rehabilitative settings.

Sen. Nancy Skinner represents the 9th Senate District and is the Senate majority whip. She is also the chair of the Senate Public Safety policy and budget committees.