In Imperial County—a rural region along the U.S.–Mexico border—an important shift in youth justice is underway. Recently, the county has fluctuated between having zero girls and one girl incarcerated, a milestone that represents more than local progress. It offers a model for how even the smallest California counties facing unique challenges can rethink their systems, strengthen partnerships, and build community-centered approaches that keep young people safe, supported, and connected.

Imperial County’s progress is some of the earliest to emerge from the Ending Girls’ Incarceration (EGI) in California Action Network. Launched in 2023 by OYCR and the Vera Institute of Justice, the EGI California Action Network continues to bring together a cohort of four counties committed to transforming outcomes for girls and gender-expansive youth. Alongside Imperial County, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento were also selected through a competitive application process, each receiving $125,000 annually for three years. 

As Imperial County’s Interim Chief Probation Officer Elizabeth Sais reflects, being selected “validated our commitment to redefining youth justice in a rural community like this one,” where limited local resources, immigration pressures, and trafficking risks make decisions more challenging. “We don’t have much, but the little we do have, we try to grow it and make the best out of it,” she adds, highlighting how the county leverages every opportunity, such as EGI, to deepen collaboration and expand diversion. 

A Shared Commitment to Doing Things Differently 

Imperial County’s momentum began with a simple but powerful shift: key agencies—including probation, the courts, and community-based service providers—chose to work as one team. 

Much of Imperial County’s progress can be credited to Rite Track Youth Services, a community-based organization (CBO) that provides individualized, youth-led supports—including social-emotional learning workshops, workforce development programs, counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and family-focused services. 

“It’s not just a partnership,” says Program Director Marysol Medina. “When Imperial County got selected as one of the counties to take part in this initiative [in 2023], we got invited to have a seat at the table.” Then, in 2024, OYCR provided a new round of funding—up to $1 million per county—to support CBOs, including Rite Track, directly. 

Marysol emphasizes how critical this funding was, noting that government programs often have limitations and that “we can’t do it by ourselves.” With this support, Rite Track expanded its case management capacity and served twice as many girls and gender-expansive youth as when the EGI work began. 

Collaboration in Imperial County is evident in everyday practice: 

• Strong communication and quick coordination: Everyone stays in close contact, shares updates and stories, and works together to find solutions. Chief Sais notes, “We’re just a minute, a lunch away from just talking about what really needs to be worked on.” 

• Early, needs-based referrals grounded in close relationships: Youth are often referred to CBOs by school counselors or families, well before any law enforcement involvement. These early referrals are guided by strong, personal relationships among the community, focusing on each young person’s needs rather than offense history. 

• Shared decision-making: Probation officers who build deep relationships with youth and families participate alongside CBOs and county leaders in multidisciplinary teams—ensuring that support plans are made collaboratively, with both system and community voices shaping the path forward. 

Imperial County’s diversion model creates an ecosystem of supports that boost young people’s agency and self-determination while reducing their contact with the youth justice system altogether. Within Rite Track specifically, youth help shape their own goals and plans, and providers adjust services quickly based on their input. Programming also includes opportunities to strengthen personal and cultural identity, and workforce development placements help build long-term pathways. 

From Collaboration to Lasting Change 

Imperial County’s most defining strengths are their shared mindset and empathy. Every partner sees themselves as responsible for keeping low risk and medium risk girls out of confinement, ensuring young people receive consistent support in the community.  

And the impact is tangible. Marysol notes that county judges have paused cases so that young people can work with Rite Track and later dismissed charges once they showed steady progress. This approach has enabled youth to return to their home schools, graduate, and transition into college, workforce, or training programs. 

She adds, “It’s easy to say, ‘Go to school every day,’ but we have to understand why they can’t. Maybe they just saw their brother overdose, or there’s no milk in the fridge. They have bigger problems than coming to school.” Meeting youth where they are, understanding barriers beyond school attendance or behavior, and ensuring that every young person has access to meaningful opportunity—that’s what drives success.  

In Imperial County, positive outcomes aren’t treated as outliers; they’re becoming the expectation. Reaching zero or one girl incarcerated is a milestone, but keeping it that way requires sustained effort. Leaders are clear on what it will take: 

• A long-term culture shift that prioritizes prevention and alternatives for incarceration as the county’s default 

• Stable funding, including exploring diverse options to sustain community-based programs 

• Formal structures, not individual champions, so progress isn’t dependent on who holds a particular role 

• Continued capacity-building, with support from OYCR to strengthen partnerships, review policies, and expand early diversion 

Imperial County demonstrates what’s possible when a community focuses on opportunity over limitation, builds strong partnerships, and centers youth voices. When every part of the youth justice system makes that choice, ending girls’ incarceration is not just a goal—it’s achievable.