Juvenile Justice Commission

Mission Statement

The Monterey County Juvenile Justice Commission is a mandated group of private citizens who perform a variety of advocacy and regulatory functions on behalf of the youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

The Mission of the Monterey County Juvenile Justice Commission is to inquire into the administration of juvenile court law in this county and to ensure that the highest standards of care and services are maintained for the youth within the juvenile justice system.

Overview of the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) Under the mandates of the California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC), the JJC conducts announced and unannounced inspections of police departments temporarily housing juveniles, county operated juvenile facilities, and group homes where wards and dependent children of the Juvenile Court are placed. The Commission also inspects and reviews operations and programs of the Youth Correctional schools and monitors medical/mental health programs within the facilities.

The Commission is comprised of not less than 7 and no more than 15 citizens; two of the positions are youth members between the ages of 18 and 21. The Commissioners are appointed by the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court with the concurrence of the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court, and serve a four-year term.

The JJC continues to actively encourage applications for the Commission from the residents of Monterey County. An application is available by printing it from this website or by contacting the JJC c/o Juvenile Probation 1422 Natividad Road Salinas, CA 93906 or you can request an application be sent to you by emailing your request to: DLJuvJusticeCommission@monterey.courts.ca.gov

Interest in serving on the Juvenile Justice Commission

The Monterey County Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) is a mandated group of private citizens who perform a variety of advocacy and regulatory functions on behalf of the youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The JJC is empowered by the California Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC), Sections 225-231 to “inquire into the administration of juvenile court law.” The JJC adopts a goal-oriented and proactive approach in meeting its responsibilities throughout the year.

• A candidate for the JJC should possess the integrity and motivation to perform the duties in an objective, fair and honest manner.
• The candidate must have the time and commitment to fulfill the appointment responsibilities. The Commission holds regular meetings the first and third Wednesdays of each month. The Commissioners participate in standing committees and liaison activities.
• No restrictions based on age, gender, ethnicity, religion, economic status or race will affect the eligibility of the candidate.
• Youth Commissioners must be between 18 and 21 years of age and able to attend JJC meetings on the 4th Monday of each month. Youth Commissioners will serve until their 22nd birthday.

Applying for Commission Appointment

ONLY MONTEREY COUNTY RESIDENTS MAY APPLY

• An application is available by printing it from this website or by contacting the JJC c/o Juvenile Probation 1422 Natividad Road Salinas, CA 93906; or you can request an application be sent to you at DLJuvJusticeCommission@monterey.courts.ca.gov
• The application can be mailed, emailed, or faxed back to Juvenile Probation 1422 Natividad Road Salinas, CA 93906, email:DLJuvJusticeCommission@monterey.courts.ca.gov or faxed to 831-759-7242.
• After the applicants have completed the application and indicated they are interested in serving on the Commission, the next step is the application review process. A panel of Commissioners will conduct interviews and make a recommendation to the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court. It should be noted background checks will be conducted once the applicants have been selected by the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court with the concurrence of the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court.

Qualifications for Membership

The Monterey County Juvenile Justice Commission is mandated by State law and consists of fifteen sworn Commissioners appointed by the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. It is the duty of the Commission to inquire into the administration of Juvenile Court Law as applied in Monterey County. The Commission can hold public hearings and require testimony, as well as request subpoenas if necessary.

As part of these responsibilities, commissioners inspect all of the county-operated juvenile institutions holding youth in both the criminal and dependency systems; facilities such as Juvenile Hall, Probation program facilities, the main jail, all police facilities and the sheriff, group homes and foster homes. Findings may be reported to the facility inspected, the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court, Chief Probation Officer, County Welfare Director, or the State Department of Social Services, to resolve any problems or to submit a plan of action.

Other duties of the Commission include, but are not limited to: responding to correspondence and interviewing professionals within the system, department heads, members of the public, wards and dependents, community-based resources, and members of the media as appropriate. The Commission may conduct studies, investigations and reviews into matters pertaining to juvenile court law administration/systems. The Commission also interfaces with the State Board of Corrections and the Department of Youth Authority.

The commission meets the fourth Monday of every month from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Juvenile Hall – Large Conference Room located at 1422 Natividad Road Salinas, CA 93906.