The California Department of Justice has asked a Superior Court judge to sanction Los Angeles County if it doesn’t fix “illegal and unsafe conditions” at two county-run juvenile halls within 120 days, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Wednesday, April 12.
The DOJ wants the judge to intervene because the county has not complied with the terms of a prior court judgment for more than two years. That judgment required the county to maintain adequate staff levels to ensure the youth detainees receive the educational, medical and recreational services they’re entitled to, Bonta said.
But due to an ongoing staffing crisis, Bonta’s office said, the county has not only failed to make the required improvements, it is now “regressing in areas where some progress had been achieved,” according to the motion. Violations are “severe and ongoing, and youth and staff are at serious risk of harm,” states the DOJ motion.
“The conditions within the juvenile detention centers in Los Angeles County are appalling,” Bonta said in a statement. “For justice-involved youth in particular, it is imperative that our institutions give them every opportunity for rehabilitation, growth, and healing. We are responsible for protecting justice-involved youth and ensuring they receive educational, health, and supportive services necessary to stop the cycle of incarceration.”
The enforcement motion filed Wednesday, which includes sanctions for noncompliance, would require the county to:
- Provide “timely transport” of youth to school daily or provide services to make up those lost hours.
- Ensure that youth have access to the outdoors daily.
- Document and review all use-of-force incidents.
- Install video cameras at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall.
- Implement “a positive behavior management plan.”
Data provided by the Los Angeles County Office of Education indicate students at Barry J. Nidorf and Central juvenile halls lost 617 hours and 174 hours of education,…
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