June 30th 2023 is a milestone as it marks the end of California’s notorious state-run youth prison system and brings to a close one of the darkest chapters in state history. For 132 years, state officials willfully ignored the overwhelming evidence of the horrific abuses inflicted on generations of youth condemned to these institutions under the false promise of rehabilitation. The closing of these institutions offers California an opportunity to redress this past injustice by ensuring that youth will never again be locked into hopelessness and denied a path to a better life.
Thank you to Governor Newsom and the state legislature for their decisive leadership on an issue in which others failed to act.
Daniel Macallair
Executive Director
California Closes its Youth Prison Doors
To learn more about the history of California’s juvenile prison system and our recommendations for California going forward, read our latest report here.