by Bob Walsh
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, the juvenile justice system in the formerly great state of California was the model for the world. Literally. Criminal justice types would come to California from EVERYWHERE to see how the California Youth Authority did it, because it worked.
One of the first visible efforts in that direction was what is now called the Preston Castle. In 1889 the Preston School of Industry was established by an act of the legislature. It took young boys out of Folsom and San Quentin and put them into an environment where they could learn an honest trade. The castle is no longer used, but is no longer abandoned either. The Preston Castle Foundation now owns it and is in the process of repairing and restoring it. It is supposedly the finest example of neo-Gothic architecture west of the Mississippi and is well worth saving. Every so often they open it for photo tours. It is adjacent to the CalFire training camp and Mule Creek State Prison.
Unfortunately the "new and improved" Division of Juvenile Justice has a different primary goal. They try as hard as possible to ensure that anybody under 19 is never incarcerated for ANYTHING no matter how heinous the act and how egregious a repeat offender they are. The new idea of rehabilitation is to assert repeatedly that the youngster is a victim of an unfair society, bad parenting, indifferent toilet training and various evils perpetrated by Donald Trump. Personal responsibility has nothing to do with the equation. Doesn't enter into it at all.
So, if you are a "school kid" who doesn't want to do anything but get drunk, get stoned, get laid and tell your teachers, your parents, and anybody else older than you to go fuck themselves, the formerly great state of California is the place to be. You will be welcomed, protected and nurtured here. You are, after all, archetypical proto-Democrats.
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