California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday that the Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall System will begin the process of entering a receiving vessel for what is called a public safety crisis.
At a morning press conference in Los Angeles, Bonta said he plans to appoint recipients to manage staffing, budgets and other issues for the problematic juvenile detention system. The process begins with a court petition seeking to have a court-appointed recipient (a neutral third party) to oversee the business.
Bonta cited repeated operational failures in the boy hall of Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidolph, who said they would “risk your life.”
“Recipients on the only way to move forward,” Bonta said. “Waiting is no longer an option.”
The proposal quickly met support from county manager Janice Hahn, including Los Padrinos.
“We spent years trying to improve conditions and ran out all the tools at the county level, but we’re still failing these young people,” Hearn said in a statement. “I am prepared to do everything I can to help our recipients succeed, and I encourage county leaders, chief probation officers and county lawyers to stay at the table and shape the process that will help not only our custody but the children who are paying our attention to get the help and support they need.”
It was announced in May that Los Padrinos had plans to close the facility after LA County submitted its closure plan.
The facility has been repeatedly fired since it reopened in 2023 and is considered inappropriate for multiple occasions by state regulators. The center continues to operate under inappropriate declarations.
A judge in May approved a plan for the probation department that would reduce the number of youths held in the facility. This is plagued by problems caused by most understaffing and with concerns that detainees are not being transported to classes or medical appointments.
Additionally, county probation officers were hit with criminal charges in March arising from allegations that the so-called “Gladiator Battle” was being staged among young detainees.
Kathryn Berger, chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said recipients seem inevitable.
“I’m not surprised by Attorney General Bonta’s request to place the Los Angeles County probation department under state acceptance,” Berger said. “The moment was actually a long time. For years I have been expressing concerns about deepening dysfunction within the department, partly supported by the supervisor’s microcontrollers. Today’s actions are a direct dismissal of the board’s ability to effectively oversee the department.
“This demand should be heavy and should not be underestimated, but my focus remains the same. We protect and support young people in our care. They deserve a safe facility, meaningful rehabilitation programmes, and systems that provide a path to growth and accountability.
The LA Probation Union coalition said it was “cautiously optimistic” that the acceptance process would lead to positive outcomes.
“We are cautiously optimistic that the Attorney General’s actions will ultimately bring the accountability that Los Angeles County desperately needs,” said Stacey Ford, president of AFSCME local 685 for the Los Angeles County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union, for many years, the Board of Supervisors ignored our warnings. It was perpetuated through chronic employment freezes, hostile working conditions, and outsourcing public safety liability for untrained civilians. ”
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