The report from The Justice Policy Institute finds California spends more than $570 a day to incarcerate one juvenile. That’s about $208,000 a year. The Institute advocates for less incarceration.
The report argues more money should be spent on diversion and prevention programs. Sue Burrell is with the Youth Law Center based in San Francisco.
"Really, when you take the $208,000 per kid, per year, think of all the things we could do if we didn’t put them in a state facility," she says. "You could send them to the best college. You could buy them mentoring and tutoring and substance abuse treatment."
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says it has closed several juvenile facilities over the years and reduced the juvenile population. CDCR says there are currently 653 juveniles in custody, down from 10,000 several years ago.
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