Youth Development Policy

Stay updated on major policy priorities, reports, and updates guiding DYD’s work.

Youth Justice Reimagined

In 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors established the Youth Justice Work Group, a collaborative planning process that included system-impacted youth, community-based organizations, all youth-serving County Departments, the Public Defender and Alternate Public Defender’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Probation Department, and experts from other jurisdictions.

This Work Group was tasked with exploring the feasibility of a transitioning to a care-first model for youth justice that would achieve meaningfully improved outcomes compared to the existing system. The Work Group’s final report, Youth Justice Reimagined, outlines a collaborative vision, values, and recommendations. The Board adopted this vision and values, as well as the recommendations to create a Department of Youth Development that would bring the vision to life.

See below for the latest update on our collective progress on implementing the core elements of Youth Justice Reimagined.

Cover page of the Los Angeles County report titled 'Youth Justice Reimagined.' The illustration shows a neighborhood scene with houses, trees, people gardening, exercising, and talking in community spaces. Text reads: 'Los Angeles County: Youth Justice Reimagined — Recommendations of the Los Angeles County Youth Justice Work Group. W. Haywood Burns Institute, October 2020,' with logos of the Haywood Burns Institute and Los Angeles County Seal at the bottom.

Other Policy Updates

In April 2026, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion to transition responsibility for enrichment programming in youth justice facilities from the Probation Department to the Department of Youth Development.

Click here for reports from all partners, including DYD’s implementation plan and updates on this effort.

In April 2026, the Board passed a motion focused on strengthening services for systems-involved youth impacted by human trafficking. DYD has been working with County and community providers to expand access to supportive services for youth impacted by trafficking across the County.

Click here to see updates from all partners.

In November 2025, the Board passed a motion focused on strengthening housing supports and other services for former foster youth and young people existing the child welfare system. DYD has been working closely with partners to support this work and expand access to care coordination for these young people.

Click here to see reports by all partners.

In July 2025, the Board of Supervisors directed DYD, the Public Defender, and the Alternate Public Defender, in consultation with the Human Relations Commission and the Youth Commission, to develop Know Your Rights educational materials and workshops tailored for youth who are participating in protests, walkouts, demonstrations, and other forms of civic engagement.

Click here to see the reports on this effort and visit DYD.lacounty.gov/KYR for more!

In December 2024, the Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local emergency related to the conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property caused by the efforts of the Board of State and Community Corrections and others to close Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall (LPJH). This motion included a directive for the Department of Youth Development (DYD) to report back to the Board with the number of community-based facilities and total number of beds provided in each facility, including the number of beds currently available, for youth who could be released by the Probation Department.

Click here to read DYD’s initial report-back on bed availability.

One of three youth justice motions passed by the Board of Supervisors on March 21, 2023, this motion included the following directives for the Department of Youth Development:

Directive 2 – to propose a first phase of implementation for Safe Healing Centers that serve youth pre-adjudication and post-disposition;
Directive 6 – to take the lead role in establishing programs and services in the Juvenile Halls and Probation Camps; and
Directive 7 – to develop a longer-term, comprehensive plan to shrink the footprint of probation and a phased implementation plan to build the capacity to serve all justice-involved youth.

Click here to see all reports submitted in response to each directive of this motion, including DYD’s report on Safe Healing Centers (page 74) and youth development programming in Juvenile Halls and Probation Camps (page 81). DYD plans to complete our report for Directive 7 in 2024.

Passed by the Board on March 7, 2023, this motion included a directive to DYD, in collaboration with the Office of the Inspector General, and Probation Oversight Commission, to report back with an implementation plan for programs centered on reducing substance use by youth in Juvenile Halls and Probation Camps.

Click here to see the reports submitted for this motion, including the report submitted by DYD in April 2023.

Initial planning and design for the Credible Messenger transformative mentorship program model was connected to a March 2022 motion titled “Preparing for the Closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice: Secure Youth Track Facility Designation and LA Model Expansion.” In October 2022, a motion titled “Supporting the Programming and Transition of Secure Track Youth to Secure Track Facilities” directed DYD to launch a Credible Messenger Pilot Program.

In December 2022, a motion titled “Phase Out of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Spray at Central Juvenile Hall” further directed DYD to expand the Credible Messenger Pilot Program to two additional populations: girls and gender expansive youth and developmentally disabled youth.

Passed by the Board of Supervisors in June 2022, this motion directed DYD to work with school districts located in the Second Supervisorial District to discuss the possibility of providing youth diversion services, youth development services, and training in restorative practices.

In November 2021, this motion directed the Youth Justice Advisory Group and a collaborative group of stakeholders to develop a recommended plan to decarcerate girls and young women in the County’s Juvenile Halls and Probation Camps.

Click here to see the collaboratively developed implementation plan DYD submitted to the Board of Supervisors in May 2023.