Monterey PROB SYTF (2025-2026 inspection cycle)

October 29, 2025 Jose Ramirez, Chief Probation Officer Monterey County Probation Department 20 E. Alisal Salinas, CA 93901 2025-2026 UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION, WELFARE & INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTIONS 209 & 885, MONTEREY COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT DETENTION FACILITY Dear Chief Ramirez: An Unannounced Inspection of the Monterey County Probation Department was completed for the following facility on Wednesday, October 1, 2025: FACILITY NAME BSCC # FACILITY TYPE Monterey Secure Youth Treatment Facility 7355 SYTF This inspection was conducted pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code Sections 209 and 885 to determine compliance with the Minimum Standards for Juvenile Detention Facilities as outlined in Title 15, California Code of Regulations. INSPECTION RESULTS The focus of the Unannounced Inspection was to evaluate Title 15 Section 1374 Visiting, 1375 Correspondence, and 1376 Telephone Access. The inspection consisted of a site visit, documentation review, and an interview with staff and youth. We identified no items of noncompliance with Title 15 Minimum Standards. Refer to the attached Title 15 Modified Procedures Checklist for detailed information. An Exit Briefing with your staff was held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) staff presented an inspection overview and discussed technical assistance and best practice recommendations. * * * Please email me at shay.molennor@bscc.ca.gov or call (916) 916-708-2062 if you have any questions. Jose Ramirez Chief Probation Officer Page 2 Sincerely, SHAY MOLENNOR Field Representative Facilities Standards and Operations Division Enclosures Cc: Presiding Judge, Monterey County Juvenile Court* Chair, Juvenile Justice Commission, Monterey County* Chair, Board of Supervisors, Monterey County* County Administrator, Monterey County* Michael Palmer, Division Director (electronic copy) *Copies of the inspection are available upon request or online at www.bscc.ca.gov. 7355 Monterey PROB SYTF UI LTR 25-26 JUVENILE HALLS, SPECIAL PURPOSE JUVENILE HALLS AND CAMPS Board of State and Community Corrections PROCEDURES CHECKLIST 1 2 BSCC Code: 7355 FACILITY NAME: Monterey Secure Youth Treatment Facility FACILITY TYPE: SYTF PERSON(S) INTERVIEWED: E. Cervantez-Juvenile Institution Supervisor; two male youth ages 18, one male youth age 19, one male youth age 24 FIELD REPRESENTATIVE: Shay Molennor DATE: October 1, 2025 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 1374 VISITING Policy 6.5 Visiting The facility administrator shall develop and implement BSCC staff reviewed the visiting log book for written policies and procedures for visiting, that include SYTF youth. The visits included parents, provisions for special visits. Youth shall be allowed to siblings, grandparents, aunts, cousins, receive visits by parents, guardians or persons standing in loco parentis, and children of youth. Other family ☒ ☐ ☐ girlfriends, and other supportive adults. In addition, interviews with facility staff and youth members, such as grandparents and siblings, and affirm visiting occurs as scheduled. Youth supportive adults, may be allowed to visit with the interviewed indicate they have regular and approval of the facility administrator or designee, and in special visiting. conjunction with the youth’s case plan or in the best interest of the youth. All visits shall occur at reasonable times, subject only to Policy 6.5 (G) Approving Visitors the limitations necessary to maintain order and security. Visitation shall not be denied solely based on the visitor’s criminal history. The staff shall determine in each case, whether the visitor’s criminal history represents a risk to ☒ ☐ ☐ the safety of youth or staff in the facility. Any denial of visitation or limitation on visitations shall be communicated to the youth, person denied and facility administrator. Opportunity for visitation shall be a minimum of two hours Policy 6.5 (C) per week. Visits may be supervised, but conversations ☒ shall not be monitored unless there is a security or safety ☐ ☐ Visiting is offered two hours on Saturday for need. Unit C and two hours for Dorm 1 on Sunday. 1 This document is intended for use as a tool during the inspection process; this worksheet may not contain each Title 15 regulation that is required. Additionally, many regulations on this worksheet are SUMMARIES of the regulation; the text on this worksheet may not contain the entire text of the actual regulation. Please refer to the complete California Code of Regulations, Title 15, Minimum Standards for Juvenile Facilities, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 5 for the complete list and text of regulations. 2 This is a modified version of the Procedures Checklist and is only intended for the 2025 Unannounced Inspection of the Monterey Secure Youth Treatment Facility. 3 Excerpts from facility policies, procedures, or other reference documents are indicated in italicized text. 7355 Monterey PROB SYTF UI PRO 25-26 Page 1 of 2 J453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 Provisions for special visits, in addition to the two-hour Policy 6.5 (E) Guidelines minimum and/or outside of the regular visiting hours, shall Policy 6.5 (G) Approving Visitors be accommodated as necessary and within the discretion Policy 6.5 (I) Visitations of the facility administrator or designee. Family therapy ☒ and professional visits shall be accommodated outside ☐ ☐ the provisions of this regulation. Facilities may provide visitation opportunities outside of normal visiting hours to accommodate special visits. The facility may provide access to technology as an Policy 6.5 (I)(12) Visitations alternative, but not as a replacement, to in-person visiting. The SYTF facility has recently received Smart Communications tablets for the youth to use ☒ ☐ ☐ for additional video visitation. One youth interviewed indicated he assisted facility staff in piloting the setup of these new tablets for visitation. 1375 CORRESPONDENCE Policy 6.6 Correspondence Policy 6.6 (B) The facility administrator shall develop and implement written policies and procedures for correspondence which ☒ ☐ ☐ Interviews with youth indicate there is no limit provide that: on the number of letters they can send or (a) there is no limitation on the volume of mail that youth receive. may send or receive; (b) youth may send two letters per week postage free; Policy 6.6 (C) ☒ Per policy, all letters sent by youth are ☐ ☐ postage-free. Youth interviewed indicated the facility abides by this policy. (c) youth may correspond confidentially with state and Policy 6.6 (D) federal courts, any member of the State Bar or holder of public office, and the Board; however, authorized facility ☒ The youth interviewed were aware of their right ☐ ☐ staff may open and inspect such mail only to search for to confidentially correspond as required by this contraband and in the presence of the youth; and, regulation. (d) incoming and outgoing mail, other than that described Policy 6.6 (E), (F), and (G) in (c), may be read by staff only when there is reasonable cause to believe facility safety and security, public safety, One youth interviewed stated facility staff were ☒ or youth safety is jeopardized. ☐ ☐ respectful of their privacy as to mail. All youth interviewed indicated their mail was only scanned for contraband. 1376 TELEPHONE ACCESS Policy 6.7 Telephone Access The administrator of each juvenile facility shall develop All youth interviewed indicated they have and implement written policies and procedures to provide access to the telephone every day, have no youth with access to telephone communications. limit on the number of people they can contact, ☒ ☐ ☐ and they can call anyone. The facility does not limit without just cause the people the youth can contact by telephone. BSCC staff confirmed all telephones in the housing units were operational. 7355 Monterey PROB SYTF UI PRO 25-26 Page 2 of 2 J453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25