In San Diego, and across the country, we’re told that juvenile hall is about keeping the community safe. But if you’ve been inside, you know the truth: it’s about coercion, ego, and money. We are locking up kids—sometimes as young as 9 or 12 years old—whose brains are nowhere near fully developed. We don't let a 16-year-old buy a beer because we know they can’t logically weigh the long-term consequences, yet we expect a child in the justice system to have the impulse control of a 30-year-old. It’s a biological double standard.
The Illusion of Oversight
Want to know something crazy? Both juvenile hall and ADULT PRISONS have the same oversight.. let me explain:
Both systems are overseen by the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC).
This also means the "care" kids receive is focused on locks, paperwork, and security/control—not healing and definitely not reform.
and lets be honest When Governor Newsom signed the budget bill to close state-run youth prisons (DJJ) and move kids back to the counties, it wasn't a well-thought-out revolution. It was a budget move. Now, the counties are just "polishing the bars." They’re trying to make the halls look nicer, but the walls are still there, and the law enforcement "warden" mindset hasn't changed.
The Math of the "Power Trip"
Let’s look at the numbers. It costs roughly $300,000 to $500,000 a year to lock up ONE child in California.
Imagine if we spent even half of that on prevention and diversion. We could:
Create new, high-paying jobs for former system involved youth to become peer advocates, we could give bonuses to every officer who completes trauma informed training and higher pay for any officer that is willing to transition from probation officer to a peace officer (similar to a life coach but still holding some abilities which can be discussed )
Fund programming resources, internships, tuitions etc for our youth
If the system refuses to change even when we guarantee their pay and benefits, then we know the truth: It was never about the budget. It was about power.
A New Model: The Spherical Hub
This is where the vision for Girls Like US comes in. We don’t need a state-run program that treats people like files. We need a Spherical Hub—a community that grows in every direction, involving anyone and everyone who cares enough to show up and stay involved.
By using fiscal sponsorship, we can bypass the tiny $1 million grants the state hands out (which barely cover three beds anyway). We can build a self-sustaining community where:
Peer Advocacy replaces probation.
The Podcast gives a mic to the "invisible" kids.
Direct Funding goes to the people, not the bureaucracy.
The Bottom Line
The goal isn't to make juvenile hall "better." The goal is to make it obsolete.
We have the science. We have just enough the money. Now, we just need to take the ego out of the equation and start treating kids like the developing humans they actually are.
What do you think? Is it time to stop polishing the bars and start tearing them down? Drop a comment below.
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