VENTURA COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION COMMISSION

• AUTHORIZATION AND MANDATE
• MISSION STATEMENT
• FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION
• MEETING INFORMATION
• MEMBERSHIP
• CURRENT COMMISSIONERS AND TERM EXPIRATION
• INSPECTIONS

AUTHORIZATION AND MANDATE

The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission (JJDPC) is authorized through the provisions of section 226 of the California State Welfare and Institutions Code. The responsibilities of this Commission are broadly defined in sections 229 and 233 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code and the standards set forth by the California Board of State and Community Corrections. The general purpose of the Commission is to “inquire into the administration of the Juvenile Court Law in the County” and “coordinate on a countywide basis the work of those community agencies engaged in activities designed to prevent delinquency.”

The first Probation Committee for Ventura County was created in 1909, with committee members appointed on April 2, 1909. Judge Robert M. Clark appointed and administered the oath of office in open court.

MISSION STATEMENT

To serve as the community advocate for the best interests of children before and during contact with law enforcement.

To accomplish its mission, the Commission assures and supports the well-being of youth in the juvenile justice system by encouraging fair and accountable treatment of the minors and their families. In addition, the Commission serves to help Ventura County youth avoid activities that bring them to the attention of the Courts by advocating in the community and participating with public and private agencies providing services to minors in need.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMISSION

• Arrange and conduct annual inspections of local law enforcement agencies to assure compliance with California laws and regulations regarding the detention of youth
• Provide feedback to local law enforcement regarding concerns found through the annual inspection process
• Participate and assist in planning and organizing programs dealing with juvenile justice and delinquency topics
• Organize and conduct an annual awards program for outstanding service and achievement to our youth by those in government and the community

MEETING INFORMATION

The regular meetings of the commission are held on the second Tuesday of each month (except for July) at 3:30 pm. All meetings are open to the public and may be attended in person or remotely.

In person meeting location:
Ventura County Probation Agency - Sapphire Conference Room
1911 Williams Drive, Oxnard, CA 93036

*Zoom appearance information:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82744448366?pwd=WmZhVGJtdlhkNXNGanVxNlcvcVlrUT09&from=addon

Meeting ID: 827 4444 8366
Passcode: 084213

*If joining by Zoom, please notify the commission of your planned attendance at countyofventurajjdpc@gmail.com.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership on this Commission is composed of no fewer than 7 nor more than 15 United States Citizens. Two of the members shall be youth representatives and be between 14 to 21 years of age, with a term of two years.

The Commission will make recommendations for appointment to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court who, with the concurrence of the Supervising Juvenile Judge, appoints the new Commissioner to a four-year term.

Referrals for consideration and review by Commission may be made by the Board of Supervisors, community groups, elected or appointed public officials, and individual citizens. To the extent possible, the Commission shall be representative of the ethnic make-up of the County as well as a diversity of geographic areas.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

• Anyone interested in becoming a Commissioner is invited to attend a regularly scheduled meeting.
• Persons interested in joining the commission will submit an Application Form to the Commission Chairperson, who will refer it to the Membership Committee for its review. If the applicant is applying for a youth member position, the applicant shall also submit a current copy of their transcript, last report card and an attendance report for the current semester. Youth applicants must also submit a letter of recommendation from the school principal or his/her designee.
• The Membership Committee will interview the candidate and check references to determine whether to recommend the candidate for approval to the commission.
• If a recommendation for approval is made, and the commission accepts the recommendation, the candidate will be notified and his/her name submitted to the Presiding Judge for appointment.
• If a candidate is not approved for membership by the Commission, the candidate will be notified, in writing, of the decision by the Chairperson of the Commission.

CURRENT COMMISSIONERS AND TERM EXPIRATION

Gabriel Candelario	8/1/2027
James Hodgkins	11/06/2025
Toby Hopstone	11/01/2026
Jennifer Lopardo	08/05/2023
James Ramos	11/06/2025
Valerie Salazar	11/06/2026

INSPECTIONS

Inspections of the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities shall be made annually in accordance with Board of State and Community Corrections Standards and California Welfare and Institutions Code requirements of all institutions within the county receiving placements of minors whose care is paid for by county government funds and/or who are under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court. Written summaries of these inspections shall be included in the Annual Report of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission to the Board of State and Community Corrections. The Commission shall make its findings, conclusions, and recommendations known to the County Chief Probation Officer, the Presiding/Supervising Judge of the Juvenile Court, and the appropriate staff of the institution inspected.

MANDATORY FACILITIES:

• Juvenile Facility
• Camarillo
• Fillmore
• Moorpark
• Ojai
• Oxnard
• Port Hueneme
• Santa Paula
• Simi Valley
• Thousand Oaks
• Ventura
• West Ventura County Sheriff’s Office

2023 INSPECTION RESULTS  

The JJDPC has developed a work sheet for the commissioners to use while inspecting required juvenile holding facilities. The intent of the document was to further consistency and better empirical evidence. The scale is as follows:

70	Highest
68-69	Good
66-67	Marginal
65 or lower	Failed

The following were the outcomes for 2023.

Police Department	Score
Port Hueneme	70
Santa Paula	55

•  2023 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

•  2022 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

•  2021 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

•  2020 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

•  2019 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

•  2018 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

•  2017 JUVENILE FACILITY INSPECTION JJDPC FINDINGS

 

•  JJDPC MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION *

* Please download the application, fill it out electronically then send as an email attachment to County of Ventura-JJDPC at countyofventurajjdpc@gmail.com.

For information about Juvenile Court, please visit our Juvenile Court page or our FAQs page.