Hope and uncertainty linger as California turns the page on state-run youth prisons

By CHRISTOPHER WEBER
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has moved responsibility for youth prisons to the county level, the final step toward local control in a yearslong reform effort aimed at keeping young offenders closer to home and prioritizing rehabilitation over punishment. The realignment that took effect July 1 officially shut down the three remaining state-run lockups and passed day-to-day operations of juvenile halls to county probation departments. Advocates say the move away from a punitive approach reflects their belief that children who commit crimes are better served in settings that emphasize education, mental health care and other supportive services. But supporters and skeptics say there is still plenty of uncertainty ahead.