State Leaders Recognize 10-Year Milestone of Juvenile Justice Realignment
October 20, 2017
Sacramento, CA — Today, The Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) concluded a two-day conference, A Decade of Progress: Probation’s Success with Juvenile Realignment, in Sacramento. The probation Chiefs and attendees heard from Governor Jerry Brown, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, among many others highlighting the success of the last decade in California juvenile justice and the continued efforts to maintain and enhance a localized, evidence-based approach to juveniles in the justice system.
“This was a great two days of recognizing the incredible work done in juvenile justice over the last decade, and learning more about the innovative ways probation departments throughout California continue to move our juvenile justice system forward,” said Chief Mary Butler, President of the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC) and Chief in Napa County. “Probation’s trademark has been our ability to innovate and evolve as science and research points us in a clear direction to a better public safety system. Utilizing new research on adolescent and emerging brain development, we can have a larger impact when implementing rehabilitative strategies and data-driven decision making.”
Juvenile Justice Realignment began with the passage of Senate Bill 81 in 2007. This legislation shifted the responsibility for the majority of youth in the juvenile justice system from the state to county probation departments and away from the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) run by the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Since the passage of Juvenile Justice Realignment, youth detention rates have declined 60%, juvenile arrest rates declined 73%, and the DJJ institutional population rates declined 74%.
“Our juvenile justice system is one of the most remarkable changes in the history of California,” said Governor Brown. “Leadership is not just managing what is, but it’s imagining what might be and then taking the steps to get there. You’ve done that and I really appreciate it and I congratulate you.”
For more information and materials from the conference, visit www.cpoc.org
The Chief Probation Officers of California, are an association of all 58 counties with a shared identity as law enforcement leaders. We are committed to a research-based approach to public safety that promotes positive behavior change. Our leadership guides policy and practice in the areas of prevention, community-based corrections, secure detention and direct human services. Our goal is to prevent crime and delinquency, reduce recidivism, restore victims and promote healthy families and communities. We proudly serve our Counties and Courts.
###
