Crusade For Reform Of State's Youth Prison System

June 29 - KGO (KGO) -- Once again Governor Schwarzenegger is being accused of breaking his promises. Today family members of some juvenile inmates say the governor is taking too long to fix the state's youth prison system.

Hilda Rodriguez, concerned mother: "I cannot sleep. I turn around every night and I'm going crazy."

Hilda Rodriguez feels so helpless. She's a Van Nuys mother whose 20-year-old son Napolean has served almost five years in a state youth prison. He tried to commit suicide on Mother's Day, but was stopped in time.

Hilda Rodriguez: "It's terrible he says. Sometimes he can't take it no more."

Rodriguez today joined the Oakland-based Books Not Bars in calling for improvements to the juvenile justice system.

Two years ago, prison cameras caught guards beating teens in jail, and California made national headlines for keeping kids in cages as a disciplinary measure.

The expensive system has roughly 3,000 behind bars, costing taxpayers $120,000 per kid, per year.

Hilda Rodriguez: "They don't understand that this government doesn't do nothing for those kids."

Bernie Warner, Juvenile Justice Deputy Secretary: "I say that there's hope."

The man in charge of the Department of Juvenile Justice says progress is being made.

Bernie Warner: "We will see significant changes in the next two to three years where we will have more services available to every youth that comes into our system."

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed $100 million in youth prison spending this year to include more counseling services and lower the 75-percent recidivism rate.

The administration believes relieving overcrowding will help.

Bernie Warner: "We will reduce the population in the living units which will make them much safer for our staff and our youth."

Rodriguez hopes her son can survive until his release date in six months.

Hilda Rodriguez: "I just want him out of there as soon as possible before he takes his life."

The state legislature is considering five proposals, including one to reduce the 23-hour lockdown for bad behavior and another to remove girls from the system and put them in alternative treatments.

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