Alameda County Superior Court
Juvenile Delinquency Court Self Help -
Court Services for Youth Offenders

This page has information about:

• Special Programs
• Detention Facilities

• Special Programs

  The juvenile justice system’s intent is to maintain the safety and the security of the community and to provide for the best interests of the minor who has committed a crime. Taking into consideration the need to balance these two interests, the Alameda County Juvenile Probation Department has developed special programs for minors who are in the system. Additional services and programs for youth are offered by community organizations in Alameda County. Those community-based services are described in detail in the Resources/Referrals section of the Juvenile Delinquency page.

  The following services and programs are available from Juvenile Probation:

  1. Informal Probation

     As an alternative to detention, the minor is released and is given intensive supervision. A counselor contacts the minor daily and also offers support to both the minor and the family. This counselor interacts with the minor’s school, employer and parents so the counselor can report back to the court on the minor’s behavior and compliance with his/her conditions for release.

     In many instances, the minor must agree to electronic monitoring (EMP) either by voice recognition or by the use of a transmitter attached to the ankle, as a condition of release. If the minor is monitored through voice recognition, random telephone calls are made to the minor’s house and the minor must provide a verbal response, which is then matched to a voiceprint that has been previously recorded. If an ankle transmitter is attached, periodic telephone calls are placed to a monitoring device in the home. If the minor has left home without prior approval or if the equipment has been tampered with or disconnected, an alert is activated and the counselor is informed. The judge at disposition may also order EMP as a condition of probation.

  2. Detention Facilities

     If a minor is detained pending the outcome of the charges filed against him/her, the minor may be housed in a local facility. If after disposition, the minor is ordered to serve time in an institution, the judge may order him/her to serve that time either locally or in a state facility, depending on the seriousness of the crime and the criminal sophistication of the minor.

  3. Local Facilities

     The Alameda County Juvenile Probation Department is responsible for management of detention facilities in the county. The probation department manages the (2) detention facilities in the county - Juvenile Hall and Camp Sweeney.

     • Juvenile Hall: 2200 Fairmont Drive, San Leandro, California 94578.
       This 299-bed facility houses male and female minors who are detained pending the outcome of their cases in court. Minors are housed in living units and assignment to a unit is based on several factors involving age, behavior, history and the type of the offense charged. Juvenile Hall offers a Mental Health Clinic, a Medical Clinic, and religious services. The minors attend a county run school on site and have the opportunity to be involved in programs dealing with substance abuse, anger management, gang involvement, family responsibilities and victim awareness.

     For further information about the Alameda County Juvenile Probation Department, the department’s website is www.acgov.org/probation/.

  4. State Facilities

     The California Youth Authority manages the state-run institutions for youth offenders. In 1943, the Youth Authority began operating the then termed "reform school." Included in the responsibilities of the Youth Authority is the mandate to provide institutional training and parole supervision.

     The California Youth Authority is the largest of its kind in the nation. Currently, over 10,000 youth offenders are committed to a total of 17 institutions and camps. Of the 11 institutions, 2 are used as reception centers where all newly committed offenders are screened and tested before they are assigned to permanent programs. These programs are designed to train, treat and educate their charges. The Youth Authority also runs 4 youth conservation camps and two institution-based camps.

     The institutions and camps vary in size. The largest houses approximately 1,900 young males. The programs offered at these facilities vary, ranging from remedial and academic education to job training and work experience. All institutions (1) offer treatment programs for drug and alcohol abusers, and (2) stress accountability, personal responsibility and public service. The camps focus on public service duties, which could mean fighting fires.

     For more information, the California Youth Authority’s website is http://www.cya.ca.gov.

  © 2004 Superior Court of California County of Alameda