San Mateo supervisors press for fixes after juvenile commission flags hunger, staffing and mental‑health gaps

Johanna Rasmussen, chair of the San Mateo County Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention Commission, told the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 9 that the county’s system‑impacted youth are living with persistent, operational gaps — notably poor meal quality, limited mental‑health coverage and transportation and language barriers that reduce family visits.

“Sometimes it’s cold. The ovens don’t heat it right. Sometimes it’s burned… the kids are hungry,” Rasmussen said, describing meals that are prepared offsite, transported and reheated at the hall rather than cooked in a commercial kitchen on site.

Rasmussen, who said the commission inspects facilities and delivers volunteer programs such as a clothing program and a laptop initiative, said Juvenile Hall’s average population is about 25, with an average…