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Ventura Youth Correctional Facility

Main Phone: (805) 485-7951

Physical Location and Mailing Address:

3100 Wright Road, Camarillo, CA 93010

Note: Program facility for males and females.

Ventura Youth Correctional Facility located in Camarillo, in Ventura County, is a clinic and program facility which houses and provides diagnostic services for males and female population. This facility is comprised of living units with individual rooms.

Youth are assigned living units based on their age, gender, and their specialized treatment needs. The population in each living unit is limited and staffing levels ensure that each youth receives effective attention and rehabilitative programming.

The mission of DJJ is to provide opportunities for growth and change by identifying and responding to the unique needs of our youth. We do this through effective treatment, education, and interventions in order to encourage positive lifestyles, reduce recidivism, strengthen families, and protect our communities.

Youth that have not obtained a High School Diploma, passed an equivalency exam that is recognized by the California Department of Education, or completed a legally established program of completion from an accredited school will be enrolled in their facility’s high school. Special education and English Learner services are provided at all locations.

Youth may also access post-secondary education programs while in DJJ. College opportunities are available at all locations.

Youth may also access post-secondary education programs while in DJJ. College opportunities are available at all locations.

Special programs available for female youths include a residential substance abuse treatment program, an intensive treatment program, and a specialized counseling program. This site has a large and well-developed volunteer program.

DJJ provides education and trauma informed treatment to California’s youthful offenders up to the age of 25 who have the most serious criminal backgrounds and most intense treatment needs. Most juvenile offenders today are committed to county facilities in their home communities where they can be closer to their families and local social services that are vital to rehabilitation.

The Integrated Behavior Treatment Model constitutes the framework for DJJ’s programs. It is designed to reduce institutional violence and future criminal behavior by teaching anti-criminal attitudes and providing youth with personal skills to better manage their environments. DJJ staff from every professional discipline work as a team to assess the unique needs of each youth and to develop an individualized treatment program to address them. Through collaboration with the youth, the team administers a case plan that takes advantage of each youth’s personal strengths to maximize treatment in other areas of their life and reduce their risk of re-offending.

DJJ provides academic and vocational education, medical care, and treatment programs that address violent, criminogenic, and sex offender behavior, as well as substance abuse and mental health needs while maintaining a safe and secure environment conducive to learning.

The Integrated Behavior Treatment Model constitutes the framework for DJJ’s programs. It is designed to reduce institutional violence and future criminal behavior by teaching anti-criminal attitudes and providing youth with personal skills to better manage their environments. DJJ staff from every professional discipline work as a team to assess the unique needs of each youth and to develop an individualized treatment program to address them. Through collaboration with the youth, the team administers a case plan that takes advantage of each youth’s personal strengths to maximize treatment in other areas of their life and reduce their risk of re-offending.

Superintendent (A) Maria Harper

Maria Harper

Maria Harper started her career in 1991 with the California Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile at the Ventura Youth Correctional Facility (VYCF) as a Youth Correctional Officer. She promoted from Sergeant, to Senior Youth Correctional Counselor, to Lieutenant, to Treatment Team Supervisor. In 2007 she was the Camp Administrator at the S. Carraway Ventura Public Service and Fire Center, a DJJ Fire Camp. In 2012, she returned to VYCF and promoted to Program Administrator. In 2014 she was promoted to Assistant Superintendent. Ms. Harper was appointed Superintendent of VYCF from 2016 until her retirement in 2018. Ms. Harper returned from retirement to serve as Superintendent (A) in August of 2021.

Following a suspension since March 2020, visitation resumes at all DJJ facilities effective April 10, 2021. Visitors are required to schedule all visits via email using the same system we are using for video visits.  To ensure ample time for DJJ staff to schedule visits and notify families, the timeframe to request a weekend visit will begin Monday at 8:00 am and close down Tuesday at 5:00 pm. Visitation at Pine Grove is on Sundays only. For more information on scheduling a visit, go to https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/juvenile-justice/

You may be able to video visit with your loved one using Microsoft Teams. Visit this page for more details. (En Espanol) While in-person visitation has been suspended due to COVID-19, writing and phone calls are encouraged.

You may be able to video visit with your loved one using Microsoft Teams. Visit this page for more details. (En Espanol) While in-person visitation has been suspended due to COVID-19, writing and phone calls are encouraged.

For updated information about COVID-19 at the Division of Juvenile Justice, visit the web page https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/juvenile-justice/ .

We encourage everyone to stay safe and visit these sites often for updates.  https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/ and https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/covid-19-response-efforts/.