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Support AB 1655
The Honorable Jose Solorio, Chair
Assembly Committee on Public Safety
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 319-3745
RE: AB 1655 (Lieber) -
I strongly support AB 1655 (Lieber).
AB 1655 sets out to close all division facilities under the Division of Juvenile Justice through a phased process and model that has been highly successful in 11 other states. The youth would be placed in smaller, community-based facilities that would be administered by counties instead of the state prison system. Currently, DJJ's institution population has decreased 74% from its population in 1996 and less than 1% of juveniles arrested in California are committed to the DJJ. Now is the time to do away with this corrupted system that has failed our youth.
The DJJ has systematically failed to rehabilitate and educate the youth left in its charge. Recently, the DJJ has again failed to carry out court ordered improvements required statewide after a lawsuit revealed shocking conditions and abuse against youth. They have failed in their fiscal responsibilities and commitment to public safety, costing the state and taxpayers a projected $216,081 per youth, while the recidivism rate for re-offense has remained at 75%. The therapeutic regionalized services provided in Missouri have produced a 15.7% recidivism rate while costing the state only $26,811 per youth. This success has been duplicated in many other states that have followed a similar model. It is time for California to shut down an antiquated system whose costs in dollars and lives can no longer be tolerated.
AB 1655 will provide the first crucial step in dismantling a broken system and replacing it with smaller, community based facilities that will rehabilitate our youth, increase public safety, and save taxpayers and the state millions of dollars.
I strongly support AB 1655 and respectfully urge your support as well. Thank you for your work.
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