[ad_1]
More than 260 young people remain housed at Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center in Downey, but some say they should have been removed by Dec. 12.
Rochelle Amezcua of Loyola Law School’s Juvenile Justice Clinic represents several of the youth in Los Padrinos.
“They are currently violating the law,” Amezcua said of the county and the Probation Department.
“It’s been claimed about all the young people out there, but nothing has been proven yet. So what I’m saying is, regardless of what the young people did or didn’t do, at that point, They need a certain type of behavior.”This care is very different from the adult system,” Amezcua added.
Due to staffing shortages, the California State and Community Corrections Commission (BSCC) has deemed L.A. County’s juvenile halls to be “inadequate.” This judgment was confirmed in a recent re-examination.
NBC4 has now learned of a new motion proposed by L.A. County Supervisors Kathryn Berger and Hilda Solis, calling for a local state of emergency to be declared. In part, the plan would activate disaster dispatch workers to help with staffing, encourage the hiring of probation officers and provide bonuses of up to $24,000. We will also set up a task force to investigate the reasons why staff do not come to work. A superintendent’s spokesperson said nearly half of the juvenile detention center’s staff are currently on sick or medical leave.
Amezcua said these issues are not new and that this is the second time Los Padrinos has been found ineligible this year, adding that the changes do not solve systemic problems. .
The juvenile detention center, which has long been criticized for allegations of violence within the facility and operational problems, will remain open despite a state order to close it. John Cadis Klemak reported on NBC4 News on Dec. 13, 2024 at 6 a.m.
“The Los Angeles County Probation Department is not providing an adequate response to what these young people actually need,” she said.
At a hearing scheduled for next week, the judge is asking the Probation Department, through a court order, to explain why the department should not order the youth to be removed from Los Padrinos.
The Probation Service said in a statement:
“The Department strongly believes that Los Padrinos’ staffing complies with state regulations and has appealed the BSCC’s recent findings. We are currently reviewing Judge Espinoza’s order and are reviewing the necessary We will also continue to work with our leaders and partners to minimize the impact on public safety and the youth in our care.”
Last week, Probation Director Guillermo Vieira Rosa decided to stay on after sending a memo to the board saying he intended to retire at the end of this year. Vieira Rosa, Berger, Solis and others will hold a press conference tomorrow morning before the board meeting where the motion to declare a state of emergency will be considered.
[ad_2]Source link
