A series of recently released reports paints a dismal picture of
the California Youth Authority.
A series of recently released reports paints a dismal picture of the California Youth Authority.
The CYA is supposedly a place where the state’s worst young offenders are sent for rehabilitation. Instead, the reports found facilities that are rocked with violence, neglectful of mentally ill wards and failing dismally in education.
By failing to provide for the safety, health and education of its charges, CYA is virtually guaranteeing that these young people will fail in the future. For good reason, the reports have led to hearings on the causes for and solutions to the CYA mess.
Unfortunately, a proposal has emerged that would eliminate the CYA entirely. In its place, local or regional centers would be established to house and rehabilitate offenders. Theoretically, small centers are more appealing than large institutions: Kids would get more attention, and – most critically – the incompetent CYA bureaucracy would be eliminated.
This sounds good – and it might be for a few years. But, then bit-by-bit, the state would back out of its commitment, leaving local governments to pick up an ever-increasing share of the costs.
Don’t believe it? Take a look at California’s failure to fully fund community mental health programs after closing most of the state’s hospitals for mentally ill people. Instead of dismantling CYA, the Legislature and governor should give the new director emergency powers to shake-up the institution at every level.
The youth authority is floundering – but the state would make the situation worse by dumping the problem on local governments.
