California has all kinds of rules on how to take care of kids in the system. There are rules about safety, rules about reporting abuse, rules about how long a kid can be isolated, what kind of medical care they get, what happens if a staff member crosses a line… Rules, rules, rules.
But that’s a good thing, right? Rules make everything clear for everyone and, at the end of the day, protect everyone involved in the situation. Or at least that’s how it would be if everyone always followed these rules.
In juvenile halls across the state, these rules have all been ignored. Sometimes that was done quietly, sometimes it was in full view of state inspectors. Doors don’t lock, showers don’t work, staff skip training, and investigations get delayed into oblivion, or they just don’t happen. And who pays for all this?
The kids.
These aren’t just a few slip-ups here and there; these are repeated failures that show that California’s juvenile system is able to write a policy but can’t follow it.
Documented Failures That Put Minors at Risk
Here are 5 real, documented cases that show what happens when oversight breaks down and protocols get ignored.
-
San Diego Youth Transition Campus and Its Failure to Promptly Report Sexual Misconduct
The San Diego Youth Transition Campus sexual abuse case clearly shows how policy can fail when no one follows through on what needs to be done.
What happened was that YTC – formerly the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility – rebranded in 2021 and promised reforms. But lawsuits that were filed in 2024 allege that multiple minors were sexually abused by staff or peers.
Nobody reported anything right away to either law enforcement or child protection, as required under California Penal Code §11166.
In some cases, staff that was under investigation weren’t even removed from duty.
-
Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall Was Declared ‘Unsuitable’ But Was Still Operational
From 2021 to 2023, state inspectors flagged major safety issues at Central Juvenile Hall in L.A. They found broken door locks, nonworking showers, and not enough staff to supervise minors. The BSCC formally labeled the facility ‘unsuitable for youth housing’; but did that mean it was immediately shut down?
No. It stayed open for months.
Under Title 15, Section 1354, facilities that don’t meet basic safety checks are supposed to take immediate action, but that didn’t happen here.
And keeping kids in a place that’s officially considered unsafe is a violation of the very standards that were meant to protect them.
-
Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall’s Improper Use of Isolation and Solitary Confinement
California law says that isolation can only be used if a youth poses an immediate threat, it can’t be used as punishment. And even when used properly, isolation has to be short and well-documented. But from 2020 to 2022, Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar was found placing minors in isolation for hours or even days, usually without proper justification.
Reports show that kids missed out on school and mental health care during the time they were confined. That breaks SB 1143 and Welfare & Institutions Code §208.3.
Isolation should always be a last resort and, instead, it was used as the punishment, which is exactly what the law was written to prevent.
-
Ventura Correctional Facility’s Delayed Investigations into Allegations of Abuse
Kids at Ventura reported abuse by staff between 2018 and 2021, but the response was slow. Some investigators took up to 6 months (!!!) to start. Others were closed without contacting witnesses or even reviewing evidence.
This is a direct violation of Title 15, Section 1361, which says that a review must be conducted within 10 days of grievance. In many cases, the accused staff were able to keep working directly with the minors who filed complaints.
Not only does delaying or skipping investigations break policy, but it also shows that the kids’ reports have no importance.
-
Alameda County Juvenile Hall Failing to Monitor Staff Background Checks and Training
A 2022 audit found at least a dozen members of the Alameda County juvenile staff with incomplete background checks or expired certifications. That violates both Penal Code §11105.3 and internal hiring policies. The audit also showed that there was not enough training in de-escalation and trauma-informed care.
Some of these employees were involved in incidents that escalated unnecessarily. These problems have been flagged since 2019, but practically nothing changed. And when the staff aren’t properly screened or trained, kids are at a greater risk.
There’s really no excuse for letting things like these slide.
Conclusion
Imagine if there were a private business that ran like some of these juvenile facilities in California.
Do you think they would be allowed to just go on? No way. They’d be shut down or sued to the ground or both. But the system gets away with things no one else could and the policies end up being just for show. Everybody knows the rules, yet no one feels like they have to follow them.
And the ones that pay the price are teenagers, many of whom are still waiting for someone to believe what they’ve been through.
