WestCal Academy® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that offers vocational programs in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards, and the University of California system. WestCal® began working in LA County’s probation system in 2023.
The organization brought legitimate hands-on workforce development and operated across multiple Los Angeles County Probation Department halls and camps through various public funding streams. When the county created the Department of Youth Development, it seemed like an opportunity for reform. WestCal® secured a significant contract to serve some of the system’s most challenging cases: Secure Youth Track Facility (SYT) youths at the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar.
The Contract and Its Breakdown…