Los Angeles County supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion to declare a state of emergency at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, which state authorities have said was unsuitable to house youths because of insufficient staffing and other problems.
The declaration authorizes the Probation Department to hire or move staff to the juvenile hall and offer incentives, like signing bonuses and other benefits.
Supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the declaration. It comes less than a week after the Probation Department blew a state Dec. 12 deadline to move more than 200 youths out of Los Padrinos.
The Board of State and Community Corrections said low staffing was leading to youths being kept in rooms too long, missing medical appointments and outdoor recreation time.
“It’s not about the physical location or the facility,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger told reporters at a Tuesday news conference. “The biggest issue continues to be staffing.”
In a statement, Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said he supported the supervisors’ emergency proclamation.
“Drastic and decisive measures are needed to root deep-seated issues plaguing our only secured youth facility, Los Padrinos,” Viera Rosa said.
But many who spoke during the public comment period at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday said the declaration was a step in the wrong direction. Dozens of criminal justice reform activists with the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, the Youth Justice Coalition and other groups spoke against the motion.
LA County approves emergency declaration to address staffing problems at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall
Tyrique Shipp with the Anti-Recidivism…
Read the full article here
