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Commission: SecureTrack youth program needs separate housing, step‑down options and clearer policies
Summary
The commission's separate SecureTrack inspection flagged rising incident reports and adult charges, inconsistent reporting to the commission, gaps in education access and no step‑down contracts; it urged separate housing for SecureTrack youth and training for probation staff on rules of court.
The San Mateo County Juvenile Justice Commission reported on Jan. 27 that SecureTrack — the county's program for youth placed under the Secure Youth Treatment Facility model after state youth prison closures — faces operational shortfalls including an apparent rise in new adult‑level charges, inconsistent incident reporting and a lack of step‑down options for youth leaving secure treatment.
The commission's SecureTrack inspection found the program's population rose from one to five during the review period and noted an increase in new charges and serious incident reports. "The average length of incarceration is 3.7 years," the presenter said, emphasizing that most SecureTrack youth are young adults whose new charges can carry long‑term consequences. The inspection recorded a rise in serious incident reports — including self‑harm and suicide attempts — and said reporting to the commission was inconsistent.
Why it matters: commissioners said SecureTrack youth are the system's most serious cases and need dedicated, stable programming and clear pathways to less‑restrictive placements rather than repeated filing of new adult charges that can affect life outcomes.
Key findings and recommendations included: - Separate housing: move SecureTrack youth to an exclusive unit rather than sharing juvenile hall housing with other detained youth. - Step‑down programming: create or contract for step‑down settings (the report noted Pine Grove as an existing option that costs about $10/day) and establish contracting procedures so the court and probation have defined alternatives when recommending placements. - Training and rules: train probation officers on California Rules of Court and the county procedures used to make rehabilitation recommendations so court reports consistently reflect rehabilitative progress and eligibility for reductions. - Education access and visiting: restore and standardize educational access (some youth reported losing computer access tied to behavior sanctions) and resume in‑person visiting where safe; family nights should be regular and culturally relevant. - Policy changes: reconsider policies that require youth to walk with hands behind their backs for routine movements, a practice commissioners said has a negative psychological effect and differs from neighboring counties.
Probation Chief King addressed the commission and said the department shares the goal of rehabilitation and is willing to pursue step‑down contracts and programming, while also noting that district‑attorney referrals have been required in some instances after repeated violent incidents where other interventions were ineffective.
The commission voted to approve the SecureTrack inspection report. Commissioners asked probation leadership to provide missing data, to follow up on family visits, and to develop step‑down contracting options.
The commission's report also noted that the county received state funds (cited in the meeting) intended for SecureTrack programming and facility modifications; commissioners said tracking and use of those funds should be clarified. The commission approved the SecureTrack report and will continue follow‑up with probation.
