Institutions Division

The Santa Barbara County Probation Department operates one 24-hour maximum security juvenile hall.  The Susan J. Gionfriddo Juvenile Justice Center is located in Santa Maria.  This facility houses up to 140 male and female offenders.  These offenders may be awaiting Juvenile Court proceedings, serving a court ordered commitment in the juvenile hall or awaiting transportation to placement.  Offenders range in age from 10 through 18 and are detained for offenses that range from misdemeanors to felonies.  The average length of stay is less than 30 days. 

The Department operates Los Prietos Boys Camp and Los Prietos Boys Academy which are co-located in the Los Padres National Forest.  The Los Prietos programs are 24-hour minimum security facilities.  Los Prietos Boys Camp was established in 1944 and currently houses 45 minors.  The Los Prietos Boys Academy established in 2003 was originally named Tri-Counties Boot Camp and was established in 1997.

In Santa Barbara, the Probation Department maintains the Santa Barbara Booking Station.  The purpose of the booking station is to receive and assess juvenile offenders from local law enforcement agencies. Juveniles can be detained for their safety or for the safety of the community.  Once specific detention criteria are met, the offender is processed at the booking station and transported to the juvenile hall in Santa Maria.  The booking station serves residents who reside between Carpinteria and Goleta. 

The Probation Department maintains various programs as alternatives to detention for juvenile offenders.  These programs include: electronic monitoring, house arrest, home supervision, and the Alternative Detention Program.