A fresh start begins with a fresh cut.
Eleven young men at a secure youth facility in Sylmar are learning to become barbers at a new program offered through Santa Monica College that is designed to help them earn a living after release.
“Our core values are equity and access,” says Dr. Steven Sedky, SMC’s associate dean of career education. “At the end of the day, for us, it’s about giving them life skills.”
The training comes with clippers, college textbooks and even a few famous friends — producer Scott Budnick (The Hangover) and celebrity barber VicBlends.
But there’s no shortcut to the salon: all students must still complete 1,000 hours of instruction and pass a state licensing exam before serving their first paying client.
The program celebrated its ribbon-cutting October 24 at the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility. It’s the first barbering program in a California juvenile detention center, Sedky says.
Barry J. currently houses 163 boys and young men ages 14 to 26, most classified by Los Angeles County Probation as “high risk” offenders convicted of violent crimes.
A Cut Above
The program started with a simple question.
“We got a cold call to our cosmetology department with this opportunity,” Sedky tells The Sun. “They had polled the guys at the facility and asked ‘What kind of educational opportunities do you want?’ And the one that was at the top of the list was barbering.”
Three and a half years, one newly built barbershop and a mountain of coordination later, classes are finally underway.
Two SMC instructors –– both barbers who own their own shops –– offer real-life expertise. Longtime faculty member Debbie Perret, who helped develop the college’s barbering program, serves as coordinator.
“It was really important for us to have faculty that really can relate and work successfully with this population,” Sedky says.
Students use the same textbooks and materials and follow the same academic calendar as their counterparts back on campus.
And yes, organizers thought carefully about the scissors.
“We did a lot of screening…to ensure it’s a safe environment,” Sedky says.
He and Perret visited prison training programs in Chowchilla and Chino to study their safety protocols before opening the classroom at Barry J.
“We have two staff members in the room for security in addition to the faculty member that will be there at all times,” Sedky says.
Tools are checked out, checked back in and counted before students leave. Facility staff also carefully screened applicants. Priority was given to residents with good behavior records and enough time left in custody to make substantial progress in the program.
The Next Chair
Getting out doesn’t have to mean dropping out.
Students released before finishing can continue their training at SMC’s main campus, with organizers working to coordinate the transition.
The college is also working with the state board to address potential licensing barriers related to students’ records and arrange for the licensing exam to be administered inside the facility.
Beyond state certification, Sedky sees the program as a way to teach discipline, routine, and a resilient craft in a changing economy.
“Trades have become really popular again, and barbering is an AI-proof skill,” Sedky says. “Even if these guys don’t end up becoming full-time barbers, it’s a great trade to have, a solid side hustle, and it teaches the discipline of showing up and mastering a craft.”
For SMC, the goal isn’t political posturing—it’s giving young men a concrete tool to earn a living when they walk out the doors.
“We really want to provide economic and social mobility through this barbering program,” he says, “so they can provide for themselves and their families.”
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