County may pull young prisoners

"The conditions at these group home facilities are very, very different from a state facility," Buddress said. "It's much more of a home environment rather than a custodial environment."

In fact, Buddress said he's not sure if all of the group facilities even keep their wards under lock and key as the state prisons do.

Presiding Juvenile Court Judge Marta Diaz made the decision to suspend sending the seven youth offenders to the state last week after reviewing a 500-page report detailing conditions at the California Youth Authority's 11 facilities. The report found that some staffers confined youths to cages and forced them to kneel on sharp surfaces to keep them under control.

Only the most serious offenders - those convicted of murder, burglary, rape or kidnapping - are sent the CYA.

Now that the CYA's ability to provide adequate counseling to their wards is being questioned, the county is obligated to find alternative facilities that can provide similar services, Buddress said.

Meanwhile, the county continues to check up on the well-being of the 54 youth offenders already incarcerated in the state's facilities. Starting next week, Buddress said the county is sending 12 probation officers in teams of two to visit with each of the county's wards.

"The purpose is to assess their overall well-being and get as clear a picture as we can about their situation," he said.

It has not yet been determined how the county will respond if it is found that the children were in abusive conditions.

The investigation of the state facilities was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the Prison Law Office. Over the years, CYA has faced a number of lawsuits from various prisoner rights' groups, spokeswoman Sarah Ludeman has said.

Since the report was released, the CYA has convened a task force to identify and correct the problems.

San Mateo County isn't the only one concerned about the safety and security of its youth offenders. Buddress said he and chief probation officers from 10 other Northern California counties are meeting later this month to discuss the matter. One of the possibilities they will consider is creating a regional facility to house their youth offenders if conditions at the state are determined to be an ongoing problem. A sheriff's office in the northern part of San Mateo County no longer being used might be a possible site for such a facility, he said.

There are 4,531 youth offenders spread over the CYA's various institutions and correctional camps. The facilities pretty much mimic conditions at a prison, with inmates living in a secured environment. The main difference is that the CYA has a mission of training and treating its inmates.

School is a big part of the daily schedule, for example, as is counseling and treatment. The average length of stay at CYA is about 27 months, Ludeman said.

Yunmi Choi can be reached by e-mail at yunmi@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.