ARTICLE 23. Wards and Dependent Children—Juvenile Halls [850. - 873.]

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC 23.
in effect

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 850. Section 850.

The board of supervisors in every county shall provide and maintain, at the expense of the county, in a location approved by the judge of the juvenile court or in counties having more than one judge of the juvenile court, by the presiding judge of the juvenile court, a suitable house or place for the detention of wards and dependent children of the juvenile court and of persons alleged to come within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. Such house or place shall be known as the “juvenile hall” of the county. Wherever, in any provision of law, reference is made to detention homes for juveniles, such reference shall be deemed and construed to refer to the juvenile halls provided for in this article.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 851. Section 851.

Except as provided in Section 207.1, the juvenile hall shall not be in, or connected with, any jail or prison, and shall not be deemed to be, nor be treated as, a penal institution. It shall be a safe and supportive homelike environment.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 851.1. Section 851.1.

(a) (1) Minors detained in or committed to a juvenile hall shall be provided with access to computer technology and the Internet for the purposes of education. (2) Minors detained in or committed to a juvenile hall may be provided with access to computer technology and the Internet for maintaining relationships with family. (b) This section does not limit the authority of the chief probation officer, or his or her designee, to limit or deny access to computer technology or the Internet for safety and security or staffing reasons.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 853. Section 853.

The board of supervisors shall provide for a suitable superintendent to have charge of the juvenile hall, and for such other employees as may be needed for its efficient management, and shall provide for payment, out of the general fund of the county, of suitable salaries for such superintendent and other employees.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 854. Section 854.

The superintendent and other employees of the juvenile hall shall be appointed by the probation officer, pursuant to a civil service or merit system, and may be removed, for cause, pursuant to such system.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 856. Section 856.

The board of supervisors may provide for the establishment of a public elementary school and of a public secondary school in connection with any juvenile hall, juvenile house, day center, juvenile ranch, or juvenile camp, or residential or nonresidential boot camp for the education of the children in those facilities.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 857. Section 857.

Whenever a minor is incarcerated in a juvenile hall or other county juvenile facility for a period of at least 30 consecutive days, the facility may inform the State Department of Social Services of the name, date of birth, and social security number of the incarcerated person.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 858. Section 858.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that juveniles with a high school diploma or California high school equivalency certificate who are detained in, or committed to, a juvenile hall shall have access to rigorous postsecondary academic and career technical education programs that fulfill the requirements for transfer to the University of California and the California State University and prepare them for career entry, respectively. (b) (1) A county probation department in collaboration with a county office of education, and in partnership with the California Community Colleges or the California State University, or in voluntary partnership the University of California, shall ensure that juveniles with a high school diploma or California high school equivalency certificate who are detained in, or committed to, a juvenile hall have access to, and can choose to participate in, public postsecondary academic and career technical courses and programs, including courses and programs offered online through asynchronous and synchronous instruction or in-person instruction, and for which they are eligible based on eligibility criteria and course schedules of the in-county, to the extent possible, public postsecondary education campus providing the course or program. County probation departments, in coordination with county offices of education, may use juvenile court school classrooms and computers, in accordance with agreements entered into pursuant to Section 48646 of the Education Code, for the purpose of implementing this section. County probation departments are also encouraged to develop other educational partnerships with local public postsecondary campuses, as is feasible, to provide programs on campus and onsite at the juvenile hall and, to the extent offered by a California community college, the California State University, or the University of California, the probation department, in collaboration with the county office of education, shall ensure that juveniles have access to programs and dual enrollment options offered on campus and onsite at the juvenile hall. (2) These programs shall be considered part of the current responsibilities of the county probation department to provide and coordinate services for juveniles that enable the juveniles to be law-abiding and productive members of their families and communities. (c) For purposes of this section, “juvenile” means any person detained in, or committed to, a juvenile hall. (d) This section does not preclude juvenile court school pupils who have not yet completed their high school graduation requirements from concurrently participating in postsecondary academic and career technical education programs.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 862. Section 862.

In addition to those juveniles specified in Section 850, the probation officer may receive and detain in the county juvenile hall any juvenile committed thereto by process or order issued under the authority of the United States until such juvenile is discharged according to law as if he had been committed under process issued under the authority of this state, provided, that, in the absence of a valid detention order issued by a federal court, such detention shall not exceed three judicial days. Juveniles detained pursuant to this section shall have all the rights, powers, privileges, and duties, and shall receive the same treatment, afforded juveniles detained pursuant to the laws of this state. The board of supervisors of a county may contract with the United States for reimbursement of the county’s cost incurred in the support of such juvenile.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 870. Section 870.

Two or more counties may, pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, establish and operate a joint juvenile hall. A joint juvenile hall shall be under the management and control of the probation officers of the participating counties, acting jointly, or of one of such probation officers, as provided by the agreement among the counties, and shall be in the charge of a superintendent selected pursuant to a civil service or merit system. A joint juvenile hall shall be operated in the manner prescribed by this chapter for juvenile halls. A county participating in the maintenance of a joint juvenile hall pursuant to this section need not maintain a separate juvenile hall.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 871. Section 871.

(a) Any person under the custody of a probation officer or any peace officer in a county juvenile hall, or committed to a county juvenile ranch, camp, forestry camp, or regional facility, who escapes or attempts to escape from the institution or facility in which he or she is confined, who escapes or attempts to escape while being conveyed to or from such an institution or facility, or who escapes or attempts to escape while outside or away from such an institution or facility while under the custody of a probation officer or any peace officer, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year. (b) Any person who commits any of the acts described in subdivision (a) by use of force or violence shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or by imprisonment in the state prison. (c) The willful failure of a person under the custody of a probation officer or any peace officer in a county juvenile hall, or committed to a county juvenile ranch, camp, or forestry camp, to return to the county juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp at the prescribed time while outside or away from the county facility on furlough or temporary release constitutes an escape punishable as provided in subdivision (a). However, a willful failure to return at the prescribed time shall not be considered an escape if the failure to return was reasonable under the circumstances. (d) A minor who, while under the supervision of a probation officer, removes his or her electronic monitor without authority and who, for more than 48 hours, violates the terms and conditions of his or her probation relating to the proper use of the electronic monitor shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. If an electronic monitor is damaged or discarded while in the possession of the minor, restitution for the cost of replacing the unit may be ordered as part of the punishment. (e) The liability established by this section shall be limited by the financial ability of the person or persons ordered to pay restitution under this section, who shall be entitled to an evaluation and determination of ability to pay under Section 903.45. (f) For purposes of this section, “regional facility” means any facility used by one or more public entities for the confinement of juveniles for more than 24 hours.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 871.5. Section 871.5.

(a) Except as authorized by law, or when authorized by the person in charge of any county juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp, or by an officer of any juvenile hall or camp empowered by the person in charge to give that authorization, any person who knowingly brings or sends into, or who knowingly assists in bringing into, or sending into, any county juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp, or any person who while confined in any of those institutions possesses therein, any controlled substance, the possession of which is prohibited by Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, any firearm, weapon, or explosive of any kind, or any tear gas or tear gas weapon shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code. (b) Except as otherwise authorized in the manner provided in subdivision (a), any person who knowingly uses tear gas or uses a tear gas weapon in an institution or camp specified in subdivision (a) is guilty of a felony. (c) A sign shall be posted at the entrance of each county juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp specifying the conduct prohibited by this section and the penalties therefor. (d) Except as otherwise authorized in the manner provided in subdivision (a), any person who knowingly brings or sends into, or who knowingly assists in bringing into, or sending into, any county juvenile hall, ranch, camp, or forestry camp, or any person who while confined in such an institution knowingly possesses therein, any alcoholic beverage shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (e) This section shall not be construed to preclude or in any way limit the applicability of any other law proscribing a course of conduct also proscribed by this section.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 872. Section 872.

Where there is no juvenile hall in the county of residence of minors, or when the juvenile hall becomes unfit or unsafe for detention of minors, the presiding or sole juvenile court judge may, with the recommendation of the probation officer of the sending county and the consent of the probation officer of the receiving county, by written order filed with the clerk of the court, designate the juvenile hall of any county in the state for the detention of an individual minor for a period not to exceed 60 days. The court may, at any time, modify or vacate the order and shall require notice of the transfer to be given to the parent or guardian. The county of residence of a minor so transferred shall reimburse the receiving county for costs and liability as agreed upon by the two counties in connection with the order. As used in this section, the terms “unfit” and “unsafe” shall include a condition in which a juvenile hall is considered by the juvenile court judge, the probation officer of that county, or the Board of State and Community Corrections to be too crowded for the proper and safe detention of minors.

Cal. Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 873. Section 873.

(a) Upon approval of the board of supervisors of a county, the chief probation officer of the county may establish, maintain, and operate a store in connection with the juvenile hall or other county juvenile facilities and for this purpose may purchase goods, articles and supplies, including, but not limited to, confectionery, snack foods and beverages, postage and writing materials, and toilet articles and supplies, and may sell these goods, articles, and supplies for cash to wards and detainees confined in the juvenile hall or other county juvenile facilities. (b) The sale prices of the articles offered for sale at the store shall be fixed by the chief probation officer. Any profit shall be deposited in a Ward Welfare Fund which shall be established in the treasury of the county, if a store is established pursuant to subdivision (a). (c) There shall also be deposited in the Ward Welfare Fund, if any, 10 percent of all gross sales of confined minor hobbycraft. (d) There shall be deposited in the Ward Welfare Fund, if any, any money, refund, rebate, or commission received from a telephone company or pay telephone provider when the money, refund, rebate, or commission is attributable to the use of pay telephones which are primarily used by confined wards or detainees while incarcerated. (e) The money and property deposited in the Ward Welfare Fund shall be expended by the chief probation officer primarily for the benefit, education, and welfare of the wards and detainees confined within the juvenile hall or other county juvenile facilities. Any funds that are not needed for the welfare of the confined wards and detainees may be expended by the chief probation officer at his or her sole discretion for the maintenance of county juvenile facilities. Maintenance of the juvenile hall or other county juvenile facilities may include, but is not limited to, the salary and benefits of personnel used in the programs to benefit the confined wards and detainees including, but not limited to, education, drug and alcohol treatment, welfare, library, accounting, and other programs deemed appropriate by the chief probation officer. (f) The operation of a store within any other county juvenile detention facility which is not under the jurisdiction of the chief probation officer shall be governed by the provisions of this section, except that the board of supervisors shall designate the proper county official to exercise the duties otherwise allocated in this section to the chief probation officer. (g) The treasurer may, pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 53600), or Article 2 (commencing with Section 53630), of Chapter 4 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, deposit, invest, or reinvest any part of the Ward Welfare Fund, in excess of that which the treasurer deems necessary for immediate use. The interest or increment accruing on these funds shall be deposited in the Ward Welfare Fund. (h) The chief probation officer may expend money from the Ward Welfare Fund to provide indigent wards and detainees, prior to release from the juvenile hall, any county juvenile facility, or other juvenile detention facility under the jurisdiction of the chief probation officer, with essential clothing and transportation expenses within the county or, at the discretion of the chief probation officer, transportation to the minor’s county of residence, if the county is within the state or 500 miles from the county of incarceration. This subdivision does not authorize expenditure of money from the Ward Welfare Fund for the transfer of any ward or detainees to the custody of any other law enforcement official or jurisdiction.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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