Stanislaus PROB SYTF (2025-2026 inspection cycle)

February 10, 2026 Marc Ferriera, Chief Probation Officer Stanislaus County Probation Department 2215 Blue Gum Avenue Modesto, CA 95358 2025-2026 UNANNOUNCED INSPECTION, WELFARE & INSTITUTIONS CODE SECTIONS 209 & 885, STANISLAUS COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT DETENTION FACILITY Dear Chief Ferriera: An Unannounced Inspection of the Stanislaus County Probation Department was completed for the following facility on Tuesday, January 13, 2026: FACILITY NAME BSCC # FACILITY TYPE Stanislaus Secure Youth Treatment Facility 7674 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 Tuesday, January 13, 2026; 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) 708-2062 if you have any questions. Marc Ferriera Chief Probation Officer Page 2 Sincerely, SHAY MOLENNOR Field Representative Facilities Standards and Operations Division Enclosures Cc: Presiding Judge, Stanislaus County Juvenile Court* Chair, Juvenile Justice Commission, Stanislaus County* Chair, Board of Supervisors, Stanislaus County* County Administrator, Stanislaus County* David Costa, Superintendent (electronic copy) *Copies of the inspection are available upon request or online at www.bscc.ca.gov. 7674 Stanislaus 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: 7674 FACILITY NAME: Stanislaus Secure Youth Treatment Facility FACILITY TYPE: SYTF PERSON(S) INTERVIEWED: David Costa, Superintendent; Ramiro Romero, Facility Manager; male youth ages 17, 19, and 20 FIELD REPRESENTATIVE: Shay Molennor DATE: January 13, 2026 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 1374 VISITING Policy 1006 Youth Visitation The facility administrator shall develop and implement Procedure 1000 Youth Visitation written policies and procedures for visiting, that include provisions for special visits. Youth shall be allowed to BSCC staff reviewed visiting documentation receive visits by parents, guardians or persons standing from September 1, 2025, through January 12, in loco parentis, and children of youth. Other family 2026. The documentation showed visitors members, such as grandparents and siblings, and included parents/guardians, grandparents, supportive adults, may be allowed to visit with the ☒ ☐ ☐ adult siblings, children, and extended family. In approval of the facility administrator or designee, and in addition, BSCC staff reviewed incentive Zoom conjunction with the youth’s case plan or in the best visitation logs from January 2025 through interest of the youth. December 2025 and the criteria for youth to earn incentive visits. Zoom visits allow youth to visit with siblings under the age of eighteen. Interviews with facility administration, staff, and youth affirmed compliance with this regulation. All visits shall occur at reasonable times, subject only to Policy 1006.3.2 Visitation Requirements the limitations necessary to maintain order and security. Policy 1006.6 Denial or Termination of Visiting Visitation shall not be denied solely based on the visitor’s Privileges 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. 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 2026 Unannounced Inspection of the Stanislaus County Secure Youth Treatment Facility. 3 Excerpts from facility policies, procedures, or other reference documents are indicated in italicized text. 7674 Stanislaus PROB SYTF UI PRO 25-26 Page 1 of 3 J453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 Opportunity for visitation shall be a minimum of two hours Policy 1006.5 Visiting Schedule per week. Visits may be supervised, but conversations shall not be monitored unless there is a security or safety Visting hours for the Secure Youth Treatment need. Facility are Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 ☒ ☐ ☐ p.m. and Thursdays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. BSCC staff interviewed youth who indicated visiting always occurred as scheduled. Provisions for special visits, in addition to the two-hour Policy 1006.8 Special Visits minimum and/or outside of the regular visiting hours, shall Policy 1006.9 Attorney and Professional Visits be accommodated as necessary and within the discretion of the facility administrator or designee. Family therapy Procedure 1000.1.3 Professional Visits ☒ ☐ ☐ and professional visits shall be accommodated outside Procedure 1000.1.4 Attorney Visits and the provisions of this regulation. Facilities may provide Consultations visitation opportunities outside of normal visiting hours to accommodate special visits. The facility may provide access to technology as an Policy 1006.3.2 Visitation Requirements ☒ ☐ ☐ alternative, but not as a replacement, to in-person visiting. 1375 CORRESPONDENCE Policy 1007 Youth Mail The facility administrator shall develop and implement Procedure 1002 Youth Mail written policies and procedures for correspondence which provide that: In July 2025, the facility began utilizing the mail (a) there is no limitation on the volume of mail that youth management services of TextBehind to screen may send or receive; mail for contraband and provide digital messaging. The mailing options include sending electronic mail and handwritten mail ☒ ☐ ☐ to the youth. BSCC staff discussed with facility administration incorporating the use of this technology into their policy and procedure manual. Though posters and pamphlets for services of TextBehind are posted and available in the living unit, the youth interviewed were not fully aware of the services provided. Facility administration indicated they would provide youth with a refresher training on the services. (b) youth may send two letters per week postage free; Policy 1007.3 Mail Generally ☒ ☐ ☐ The outgoing process and inspection of mail is completed by facility staff as outlined in the policy and procedures manual. (c) youth may correspond confidentially with state and Policy 1007.9 Youth Requests for Writing federal courts, any member of the State Bar or holder of Materials public office, and the Board; however, authorized facility staff may open and inspect such mail only to search for ☒ ☐ ☐ Legal mail is not processed by TextBehind. Per contraband and in the presence of the youth; and, policy, confidential correspondence shall not be read by facility staff and all inspections are done in the presence of youth. (d) incoming and outgoing mail, other than that described Policy 1007.4 Confidential Correspondence in (c), may be read by staff only when there is reasonable ☒ ☐ ☐ cause to believe facility safety and security, public safety, or youth safety is jeopardized. 7674 Stanislaus PROB SYTF UI PRO 25-26 Page 2 of 3 J453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25 TITLE 15 SECTION YES NO N/A P/P REFERENCE – COMMENTS3 1376 TELEPHONE ACCESS Policy 1008 Youth Telephone Access The administrator of each juvenile facility shall develop Procedure 1004 Youth Telephone Access and implement written policies and procedures to provide youth with access to telephone communications. BSCC staff reviewed documentation of all telephone calls utilizing the phone system from September 1, 2025, through January 12, 2026. Per policy and procedure, youth are allowed phone access at minimum every three days between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. or at the discretion of staff. Telephone records reviewed indicated that youth had daily access and some youth made multiple phone calls a day. Youth interviewed indicated they can have five people on their call list. At ☒ ☐ ☐ the time of the inspection, the facility had limited youth telephone calls to what is outlined in written telephone procedures due to safety and security concerns in the living unit. BSCC staff discussed with youth and facility administration the recent adherence to written procedure and the limits on staff discretion to allow daily access to the telephone. As youth were questioning the ability to limit daily access, BSCC recommended facility administration review with youth the policy and procedure for telephone access. BSCC staff confirmed all telephones in the housing units were operational. 7674 Stanislaus PROB SYTF UI PRO 25-26 Page 3 of 3 J453 JUV PRO eff. 01.01.25