Letter Closure to Juvenile Justice Youth Families

January 14, 2021

To Division of Juvenile Justice Youth Families,

I would like to take this opportunity to advise you that Governor Newsom announced in his
2021-22 budget proposal, the permanent closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) by
June 30, 2023. The budget plan would require the transition of any youth in DJJ’s care at that
time to the jurisdiction of their county of commitment.

The closure of DJJ will be measured and coordinated, and will not be overnight. DJJ will be
working with various partners and stakeholders, to minimize impact to youth and staff. The first
step for the transition is that as of June 30, 2021, we will no longer be accepting new
commitments.

DJJ remains committed to treat and rehabilitate youth in our care in a safe and engaging manner.
Our priority right now is to ensure their health, wellness and safety, as well as access to
programming opportunities. We can assure you that once plans start moving forward, all
movement of youth will be conducted in a thorough, case-by-case basis to evaluate and address
their rehabilitative and custody needs when returning to their county of commitment.

To keep you informed as the process moves forward, we have developed a website
https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/juvenile-justice/djj-realignment-portal/, which will be updated on a
regular basis. I encourage you to access that web page often, and ask questions if you have them.
We will also encourage your involvement throughout this transition, and want to continue to
partner with you in the treatment of your loved one.

We thank the entire DJJ team – staff, youth, volunteers, community partners, friends, and family
members – for their commitment to DJJ throughout its 162-year history – and particularly during
the very challenging last year.

Respectfully,

HEATHER BOWLDS

Director, Division of Juvenile Justice