Secure youth treatment facilities.

Senator Menjivar's juvenile justice reform legislation modifies California's secure youth treatment facility system by establishing new requirements for transitioning youth to less restrictive environments. The measure revises Section 875 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to require courts and probation departments to prioritize moving eligible youth from secure facilities to community-based programs.

Under the bill, individual rehabilitation plans must now detail specific pathways for youth to transition to less restrictive settings, including halfway houses, camps, or community programs. These plans must outline available program options, progress benchmarks, and support services needed for successful community reintegration. Courts must hold dedicated hearings to review these plans, with prosecutors and defense counsel receiving copies at least two days in advance.

The legislation mandates courts to evaluate youth progress toward less restrictive placement during mandatory six-month review hearings. When courts determine a ward has made substantial progress and community placement would better serve rehabilitation goals, transfer to a less restrictive program becomes required rather than optional. The bill authorizes courts to order temporary releases for work, education, family visits and other reintegration activities.

County probation departments face new responsibilities for developing comprehensive transition plans, constituting a state-mandated local program. The measure includes provisions for state reimbursement of associated costs to counties, subject to review by the Commission on State Mandates.