Transformative Justice in the Shadow of Neoliberalism: A Critical Look at California’s Division of Juvenile Justice
Published online on April 22, 2026
Abstract
{"p"=>"Juvenile justice in the United States has come under increased scrutiny for its punitive treatment of young people. California is no exception to this critique with its intense, long-standing focus on punishment and prison-like conditions for incarcerated young people. Leveraging 64 in-depth interviews with facility staff in California’s Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), we examine the philosophies of justice DJJ facility staff deploy in discussing DJJ as an institution, their places of work throughout DJJ, the youth with whom they interact, and the policies that shape their work. We find that, overwhelmingly, staff are caught in the crosshairs of the desire for transformative justice and the shadow of neoliberalism. We conclude the paper with a discussion of implications for juvenile justice, DJJ, and a call for future research."}