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A Los Angeles County judge has reopened the door to closing Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, a day after the Los Angeles County Probation Department rejected a state regulator’s order to close the long-troubled youth facility.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Miguel Espinoza ordered the Probation Department to close troubled Downey Hall and move the roughly 260 youths inside to safer facilities in a court appearance on Dec. 23. He ordered them to argue why the move should not be made.
The judge’s order could force county authorities to transfer Los Padrinos youth to less secure camps, home confinement, or even juvenile detention centers in neighboring counties.
The incident comes a day after the Probation Department ignored an order from the California State and Community Corrections Commission to empty Los Padrinos by Dec. 12. Espinoza said in his order that the county is violating state law by continuing to operate the probation office despite the state’s order.
A spokesperson for the Probation Department said Friday that the Probation Department “strongly believes that staffing at Los Padrinos complies with state regulations and has appealed the BSCC’s recent findings.” .
“We are currently reviewing Judge Espinoza’s order and will respond as appropriate,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We also continue to work with leaders and partners to minimize the impact on public safety and the youth in our care.”
The state board that oversees juvenile detention facilities across California ordered the Downey facility in December after regulators determined it was “unsuitable” to house juveniles in October, primarily due to staffing issues. By the 12th, he had ordered the Downey facility closed. The agency has struggled for years to adequately staff its facilities, with staff refusing to come to work or taking long medical leave due to unsafe conditions.
The state Board of Supervisors gave the Probation Department 60 days to resolve the issue or close the hall. After last week’s failed 11th-hour test, there appeared to be no choice but to close Los Padrinos, which had been open less than a year and a half.
But the department refused to back down and said it planned to “appeal” the state oversight committee’s findings. Kimberly Epps, deputy commander of the Probation Office, told county supervisors on Thursday that the probation service provides a “safe and secure rehabilitation environment for all youth in our custody” and that the investigation He said he “respectfully” disagreed with the results.
The department appeared ready to reject the state order long before the final inspection failed. Earlier this week, the Times obtained an audio recording of Epps telling a probation officer several weeks ago that he planned to ignore the order to close Los Padrinos.
“We’re not moving. You have to leave our stuff on the curb,” she reportedly said, according to the recording.
In light of the closure order, the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office announced that it will ask the court to remove all 107 clients from Los Padrinos.
The district attorney’s office said it is aware of the judge’s ruling and plans to file a brief on the matter by Dec. 19.
Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said in a statement Friday afternoon that he was “encouraged by the court’s decision to prioritize the welfare of the youth and ensure they receive the safety and care they deserve.”
Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes Downey Hall, said she agreed with officials refusing to remove the youths because the core issue is with the staff, not the facility.
“Relocating them from Los Padrinos is not good for them. We have done that in the past, but it only caused more chaos and damage,” she said. “The reality is that many probation officers are not reporting to work, which places an undue burden on probation officers and undermines the reintegration of youth into society.”
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