Los Padrinos juvenile hall in Downey was “dangerously” understaffed when an incarcerated youth temporarily escaped the facility last fall, according to a new report from the county inspector general.
The report, sent to L.A. County supervisors, stated that more than half of county probation department staff scheduled to work at the facility that day did not show up for their shifts.
That and other details laid out in the report deliver yet another blow to the embattled department, which was ordered by the state to shutdown Los Padrinos by mid-April if staffing, safety concerns and other problems aren’t resolved.
Among other recommendations, the report from the county Office of the Inspector General urges authorities to make immediate moves at Los Padrinos to increase staffing.
“The Probation Department should disband all nonessential field staff units, provide those staff members with necessary training to staff the juvenile facilities, and redeploy them to the juvenile halls and any other juvenile facility facing staffing issues. Immediately,” the report states.
How we got here
Milinda Kakani, director of youth justice at Children’s Defense Fund CA, said the recommendations don’t get to the heart of the issue: young people at the facility are languishing because the county hasn’t provided enough programs and activities to fill their time effectively.
“When you cage and control young people… your instinct is going to be to get out, and especially when we don’t have anyone in there who’s in a position to really cultivate relationships with these young people and ensure that even their most basic needs are being met,” said…
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