County juvenile-justice commission outlines reforms, warns prevention must start in elementary schools

Johanna Rasmmanson, chair of the Sanonteo County Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission, told the Daily City Unified School District board that recent state reforms and local prevention work are reshaping how youth are handled in the justice system.

Rasmmanson said juvenile cases are decided by judges and that the system’s emphasis is rehabilitation, not punishment. She cited the 2023 closure of California youth prisons and listed recent laws she said have limited youth transfers and strengthened youth protections, including SB 203 (attorney hotline for detained youth), SB 439 (prohibiting prosecution of children 11 and younger), AB 2417 (a youth bill of rights) and AB 1376 (limits on probation for some youth). “The focus is on rehabilitation and not punishment,” Rasmmanson said.

The commissioner also cited local data: she said the county’s average daily juvenile-population in secure facilities was in the mid-20s to about 30, the average age is about 16, roughly 95% (she estimated up to 98%) of youth in custody are youth of color, average lengths of stay are near 55 days, and eight youth were committed to secure youth treatment facilities with court-ordered individualized rehabilitation plans.

Commissioner Jennifer Blanco described prevention work and a new school-district liaison initiative that will assign commissioners to North, Central and South county regions to strengthen ties with the county’s 23 school districts. Blanco said commissioners will act as local advocates, working with families and districts to resolve service gaps and avoid unnecessary juvenile-court involvement.

Both commissioners urged school-level prevention that starts before middle school: restorative practices, pro-social activities and partnership with community recreation programs. They invited trustees and district staff to a countywide delinquency-prevention conference titled “Prevention and Action: schools, communities and youth voices,” which the presenters said is scheduled for Jan. 7 at CSM and will include workshops and a youth panel.

Board members asked how the district could help; presenters recommended sending staff and trustees to the conference, considering policy changes that expand supervised recreation access, and supporting resolutions opposing trying youth as adults. The commission offered to provide a sample resolution and to serve as a liaison between schools and court- or county-run services.

The commission’s presentation closed with an offer of continued partnership and an invitation to districts to adopt prevention-focused policies and attend the January conference.