Youth advocates say family contact, mental‑health and education access lag in juvenile facilities

Youth advocates and legal services for incarcerated young people told the committee that family contact, access to mental‑health care and educational opportunity remain inconsistent across secure facilities and can prolong harm.

“My name is Gisela Gonzales… I spent time at the in county juvenile justice center, and that time really did damage me,” Gisela Gonzales, a youth with system experience, told the committee. She described limited counseling during her stay and said educational offerings at Echo Glen were insufficient. “When I came out of Echo Glen, I was not only very under where, I was very undereducated,” she said.

Greta Schultz, managing attorney with TeamChild, presented…