San Mateo County officials consider juvenile hall reforms

Canepa partnered with Supervisor Don Horsley, a former county sheriff, on the resolution that asks county staff to form a nine-member committee tasked will reviewing conditions at the Hillcrest Juvenile Hall, a 180-bed youth rehabilitation site referred to as the San Mateo County Youth Services Center.

Following the review, the committee would come forward with recommendations for how to improve the center described as a “sterile institutional environment,” in the staff report.

Horsley, who once worked in the facility during his years in law enforcement, said the site was initially hailed as a modern facility with wraparound services but ultimately the design too closely resembled an adult jail.

“I don’t think that was our intent but that’s kind of where the process went,” Horsley said. “You have architects and engineers who say this was state of the art. Well, state of the art doesn’t really fit very well. It may fit some but it doesn’t fit very well for many.”

He pointed to the county’s Margaret J. Kemp Camp, a rehabilitation and education site for girls, as a model center. He also requested that the committee, once established, tour a transitional youth center on Tower Road near Camp Kemp for additional inspiration on how to modify the YSC.

In addition to strong support from supervisors, a handful of community leaders also came out in support of the resolution. Paul Bocanegra, a member of the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Committee, spoke of his experience being incarcerated and how his time spent in a cell shook his confidence.

He noted the environment can have a devastating impact on developing children. By moving away from the model of chains and handcuffs, he said the county’s resolution will set a precedent and “marks a turn in California History.”

San Mateo Councilmember Rick Bonilla said he submitted a letter in support of the proposed actions but decided to share additional thoughts after being moved by Bocanegra’s story. Concerned about added trauma the juvenile system could inflict on children, Bonilla said he wants to “take the cages away” while creating a welcoming environment for all youths.

Belmont Mayor Charles Stone also applauded the resolution. Citing a 2017 statistic, he said 75% of youths who enter the criminal justice system are likely to return as adults.

Having grown up in the county, Stone said he has seen friends placed in Hillcrest Juvenile Hall and has been told of their difficult experiences. Though conditions have improved since his youth, he said the county could do more to ensure children are not placed in another traumatic situation.

“I remember them telling me what it felt like and it wasn’t great,” Stone said. “The current facility, which I still think of as the new facility, is much better than Hillcrest was but it’s time for another quantum leap.”

Additional support for the resolution came from Ligia Andrade Zúñiga, a member of the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees, and Noelia Corzo, a member of the San Mateo-Foster City School District Board of Trustees.

Andrade Zúñiga said the county could be a leader in creating a compassionate system for treating children who have already faced hardships in their lives. Corzo similarly highlighted the adversities families with children in the juvenile justice system have faced and encouraged the board to allow the committee to consider all options including a potential closure of the YSC.

“I hope that the board can give this committee resources, data and everything that they need to have a full vision for our young people,” Corzo said.

Speaking on behalf of the Rev. Dr. Penny Nixon with the Congregational Church of San Mateo, JJDPC member Monroe Labouisse said Nixon suggested a mental health provider be added to the committee. She also encouraged the board to be clearer on when the committee would be expected to bring forward recommendations.

Supervisors were receptive to Nixon’s request and a suggestion by Horsley to add a representative from Child Protective Services, agreeing to add the two additional seats to the originally seven-member committee.

Group members will include County Manager Mike Callagy, Chief Probation Officer John Keene, a juvenile court judge, two members of the public appointed by the JJDPC, representatives of the Private Defenders Office and the District Attorney’s Office and the two additional seats.

No additional recommendations around a working time frame were given to the committee or additional parameters of what to review other than ideas to build a supportive environment that will bolster mental health and rehabilitation.

“People rise to their expectations,” Horsley said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how we can modify that facility or what else we can do that I think is more therapeutic and ultimately I think provides for better public safety.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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