Juvenile Lockups Stress Hard Work, Responsibility : Rehabilitation: The idea is to change behaviors that could otherwise put children on a road to state prison.

When a Ventura County judge puts an adult on probation, the main concern is protecting the public. With juveniles, equal emphasis is placed on rehabilitation.

There are two local juvenile lockups that specialize in behavior modification and keeping delinquents out of state prison: the Colston Youth Center and the Juvenile Restitution Work Release Center.

A medium-security facility in Ventura, Colston is home to 45 troubled girls and boys between 13 and 18 who stay anywhere from three months to a year. Most have committed violent offenses.

Ernesto and Jorge, two inmate trusties confined since May, say their drug problems led to other troubles with the law. At Colston, they are undergoing intensive counseling with probation officers, mental health workers and peers.

Both have had some success, earning furloughs and other privileges through good behavior and active group participation. As they gave two visitors a tour recently, they appeared to have developed self-confidence.

“Being able to go on a furlough and not drinking and using [drugs], I feel a whole lot better about myself,” said Ernesto, a 16-year-old from Santa Paula.

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Jose, 17, is also from Santa Paula. His girlfriend is pregnant, and he now talks about finishing his high school education.

“Myself, I don’t want to go back out there hanging with gangs, killing each other for nothing,” the heavily tattooed teen-ager said.

Not everyone is as successful in the program. Other youths have had privileges taken away for antisocial behavior or lack of participation.

Terry Warnock, the manager of Colston, said the staff celebrates success stories each year at its annual picnic.

“Two years ago, it was very depressing,” Warnock said, because “it seemed like all of them” had been sent to juvenile prison. “But last year,” he continued, “a lot of them had gone on to get jobs or off to college.”

Across the block from Colston, the Juvenile Restitution Work Release Center is for 24 delinquents whose crimes involved weapons, theft, drugs or alcohol. Inmates mostly land minimum-wage jobs. Their paychecks are handled by staff members, who deduct restitution money for crime victims.

The idea, said Corrections Officer Alfred Perez, is to instill a work ethic and a sense of responsibility. Tom, 17, said it has worked on him.

After Tom served 90 days, a judge permitted him to remain in the program another three months because his mother and older brother were behind bars. He had nowhere else to go. He will be released this week on his 18th birthday.

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Tom, who wears his blond hair cut short and has sculpted biceps, is working on a high school diploma and a welding certificate from Ventura College, which trains many program participants.

Neighboring Juvenile Hall has tighter security than either Colston or the restitution center; it is encaged in razor wire.

Officially called the Clifton Tatum Center, Juvenile Hall is built to hold 84 prisoners. Average daily population: more than 100. The figure has gone as high as 137, officials said. The county is looking at erecting a new a building, but that prospect would be costly.

Extra mattresses are the most obvious signs of overcrowding, which has led to hair-trigger tempers and fistfights. Scuffles are rare in Unit Four, where 20 girls and less mature, unsophisticated boys room side by side.

“The other units have more fights because of the gang problem,” Assistant Supt. Betty Van Order said. “Here, the girls and boys get along.”

Corrections Officer Barbara Cobarrubias agreed. She has not used the padded cells in months.