Topline:
Four more officers from the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey have been placed on leave pending an investigation into youth-on-youth violence at the facility, Los Angeles County authorities announced Friday.
Since January, the county probation department has placed 12 officers on leave while reports related to a “culture of violence” at the beleaguered facility are being investigated by the state attorney general’s office.
Why it matters: Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall has been troubled with lockdowns, escapes and other issues since hundreds of youths were transferred there last summer. It has also come under scrutiny based on accusations that the county failed to meet safety, staffing and other requirements imposed by the state. In January, eight officers were placed on leave for allegedly allowing fighting among the young detainees.
The backstory: L.A. County transferred nearly 300 incarcerated youths to Los Padrinos last year after a state agency found juvenile detention facilities in Sylmar and near downtown L.A. were unsuitable. This year, the California Board of State and Community Corrections gave L.A. County 60 days to fix the problems at Los Padrinos or shut it down. But despite ongoing concerns, the board voted earlier this month to keep Los Padrinos open.
What’s next: L.A. County Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement Friday that he referred the incidents to outside law enforcement to ensure “a fair, independent, and thorough investigation while the Probation Department restructures and professionalizes its Internal Affairs Unit.”
Go deeper:
State Board Allows Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall To Remain Open Despite Concerns From Advocates, Families
8 Officers On Leave
Los Padrinos Woes
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