California turned the page on juvenile youth prison reform as the state shut down its last three state-run youth lockups on Saturday and passed day-to-day operations of juvenile halls to county probation departments. The shutdown comes as the state plans to move youth inmates into rehabilitation programs to help decentralizes care of youth offenders and prioritize…

LOS ANGELES—A 25-year-old woman who allegedly walked away from a state correctional reentry program in Los Angeles was back behind bars Monday and facing a possible escape charge. Aleisha Schmitz was taken into custody without incident around 5:35 p.m. Saturday in North Hills, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). State officials…

Los Angeles County has been ordered by state regulators to move nearly 300 youth inmates out of its two troubled juvenile prisons after California regulators on Tuesday determined the facilities “unsuitable for the confinement of youth.” LA County has two months to make the moves, which will close Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and…

An investigation of hundreds of whistleblower complaints filed with the state auditor has revealed $280,000 in inappropriate expenditures by California agencies in 2022. “Our investigations found wasteful decisions, poor contract oversight, unreported leave resulting in overpayments, misuse of state resources, and attendance abuse,” State Auditor Grant Parks wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom…

An investigation of hundreds of whistleblower complaints filed with the state auditor has revealed $280,000 in inappropriate expenditures by California agencies in 2022. “Our investigations found wasteful decisions, poor contract oversight, unreported leave resulting in overpayments, misuse of state resources, and attendance abuse,” State Auditor Grant Parks wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom…

SAN DIEGO—A man who was serving a nearly 250-year-to-life prison sentence for fatally shooting a Linda Vista man was killed at Pelican Bay State Prison last week, allegedly by two fellow inmates. Joseph Hill, 53, died March 23 afternoon after state prison officials say two inmates attacked him in a prison yard. Hill was taken…

SACRAMENTO—A bill that would have required sex offenders, those convicted of a violent felony, and homeless parolees to wear an electronic monitoring device failed in the Public Safety Committee on April 19. Assembly Bill (AB) 1827 died in a 2–5 vote, with two committee members abstaining. The bill would have also made it a misdemeanor for…

Amid the pending decision to make it easier for inmates to earn “good conduct credits” for early release, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation took public comment on the issue during an April 14 teleconference in advance of establishing a permanent inmate credit-earning system. The corrections department is seeking to pass a proposal that…

An inmate firefighter took the meaning of Independence Day to a new level when he stole a fire engine July 4 in an apparent escape attempt, authorities say. The 31-year-old Orange County, Calif. man was fighting a vegetation fire in Shingle Springs, east of Sacramento, when he apparently dropped his hose for a shot at freedom. He stole a…

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer joined 43 California counties on May 26 in filing a civil lawsuit against the early release of 76,000 state inmates. “It is my job as district attorney to keep Orange County safe,” Spitzer said in a press release. “The public must be given the opportunity to question why the California Department of…