January 28, 2005

Board of Supervisors appoint Juvenile Hall advisory board

By County Supervisor Pete McHugh
Special to the Times

On March 2, 2004, Santa Clara County voters approved Measure A, which unified budgetary and programmatic control of the Probation Department under the Board of Supervisors. With Measure A, voters decided that the county executive and not the superior court should appoint the chief adult and juvenile probation officer.

Findings from an independent review of Juvenile Hall operations led to the board’s determination that this change in governance structure was necessary. The board felt this consolidation would better enable it to properly address the safety and rehabilitation of the hall’s residents.

Measure A also requires the board to establish a Juvenile Hall Advisory Board (JHAB). The JHAB will make recommendations to the board to improve the safety and conditions for minors at the hall and ranches.

It will evaluate policies, procedures, programs and budgetary proposals affecting services at the county’s three juvenile detention facilities. It will also work to identify unmet needs of wards, increase communication between parents and service providers and promote equitable delivery of rehabilitation services.

On Jan. 11, the board appointed 19 members to the JHAB. These appointments include designated representatives of the District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff and the Superintendent of the County Office of Education. Judge Thomas Edwards from the Superior Court will also join county department representatives from Mental Health, Custody Health and the Social Services Agency as members. The three county labor organizations for employees working at Juvenile Hall will each have one representative.

Within Santa Clara County, many community-based organizations operate within the juvenile justice system. The JHAB will have members from three such organizations. The board selected representatives from Fresh Lines for Youth (FLY), the Unity Care Group and La Raza Roundtable.

The seven other JHAB members include a victim of a juvenile crime, two current Juvenile Hall Counselors, two parents of current or former Juvenile Hall residents and two previous Juvenile Hall residents. Kenneth R. Johnson will serve as a victim’s advocate, and Marco Diaz and Noreen Ryan are the two Juvenile Hall counselors. Calixto Manriquez and Carole Diaz are both parents of current or former wards. The two former Juvenile Hall residents have yet to be nominated and appointed.

On Aug. 30, 2004, the County Executive appointed Sheila Mitchell as the county’s new chief probation officer. She has juvenile justice experience in Alameda County and Georgia that will help the board achieve its goals in Juvenile Hall.

The board’s goals come from the Roush Report released last August. The report identifies the use of force, the resolution of complaints, the organizational culture and accountability as areas needing improvement. Although the
Probation Department has much work to do, it has made progress in five areas:

- Accountability: Currently implementing an Internal Affairs (IA) Unit that will conduct investigations into complaints and grievances, oversee the Department’s Quality Assurance Program and ensure compliance with established policies and procedures.

- Communication: Created an informational pamphlet for parents that describes available programs and provides phone numbers to discuss issues of concern.

- Grievances and Complaints: Simplified the procedures for filing grievances or complaints concerning conditions of confinement and/or program services by making locked boxes available in each housing unit.

- Physical Restraint and Crisis Diffusion: Modified the physical restraint procedures to stress the use of verbal de-escalation and added a range of low-level restraint techniques.

- Rehabilitation: Expanded partnerships with community-based organizations and programs to place more emphasis on rehabilitation.

The creation of the JHAB and recent appointment of the chief probation officer represent integral steps toward achieving reform in county juvenile detention facilities. As a member of the Board of Supervisors, I am committed to keeping our children safe and healthy whether they are in their homes, schools or neighborhoods. I believe that children in the county’s juvenile detention facilities should be no exception.