History of Suitability at the Central, Barry J Nidorf, and Los Padrinos Juvenile Halls, Los Angeles County Probation Department 2018 – Present

Background: 

  • Since 2018, there is a long-standing history of noncompliance at the juvenile halls in Los Angeles County and has repeatedly failed to meet state minimum staffing standards.
  • The Department’s lack of compliance with staffing at each affected facility has contributed directly to noncompliance with other critical minimum standards, such as safety checks, room confinement, education, and programs, recreation, and exercise and negatively impacts the safety of youth at the facility.
  • While Los Padrinos has made tenuous progress towards compliance in each of the affected areas, the pattern of noncompliance related to staffing has permeated every recent inspection and sustained compliance has not yet occurred.
  • Despite the amount of ongoing technical assistance, follow-up inspections, and increased oversight, the Department remains unable to meet compliance with statewide minimum standards.

 

Timeline:

  • During the 2018/2020 Biennial Inspection Cycle, the Central Juvenile Hall and Barry J Nidorf Juvenile Halls were found out of compliance with a number of Title 15 regulations.
  • While both facilities were scheduled for a determination of suitability at the April 2022 BSCC Board meeting, the BSCC Board was unable to make a determination of the Central Juvenile Hall because the Los Angeles County Probation Department removed youth from the facility in March 2022; youth returned to the Central Juvenile Hall in late May 2022. The finding of suitability for Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall was continued to the June 2022 BSCC Board Meeting.
  • At the June 9, 2022 BSCC Board Meeting, the BSCC Board found the Barry J Nidorf Juvenile Hall suitable for the detention of minors and the Central Juvenile Hall unsuitable.
  • Between July 18 and 20, 2022, BSCC Staff conducted a reinspection of the Central Juvenile Hall and found the facility compliant with the remaining item of noncompliance.
  • At the July 25, 2022 BSCC Board Meeting, the BSCC Board found the Central Juvenile Hall suitable. This determination closed the 2018/2020 Biennial Inspection Cycle.
  • November 8 – December 16, 2022: BSCC staff conducts the 2020/2022 Biennial Inspection of the Barry J Nidorf and Central Juvenile Halls. BSCC staff found 28 items of noncompliance between the two facilities, 13 at Barry J Nidorf Juvenile Hall and 15 at Central Juvenile Hall. BSCC staff provides facility staff with an Initial Inspection Report (IIR) noticing noncompliance on January 13, 2023 an approved CAP is due to the BSCC on March 14, 2023.
  • March 14, 2023: Los Angeles County Probation Department submits a CAP for both juvenile halls.
  • March 23, 2023: The BSCC notifies the Department that the CAP is not approved because it does not provide enough detail about the specific plans that will be relied upon to correct the items of noncompliance and does not provide a reasonable timeframe for resolution.
  • April 13, 2023, BSCC Board Meeting: The county provides testimony outlining the steps they are taking toward compliance. Board defers further action on the determination of suitability to allow the BSCC staff to take additional time to evaluate whether the county had made any progress toward meeting compliance and could approve the CAP.

See BSCC Board Meeting April 13, 2023 (hour/minute 53:22)

  • April 24 — 28, 2023: BSCC conducts Follow Up Inspection at both facilities to determine compliance with outstanding items of noncompliance and progress towards compliance. BSCC Staff find minimal progress toward compliance. One significant reason for lack of progress toward compliance is because facility directors did not have access to the CAP for which they were responsible for implementing.
    • In total, there remained 18 items of noncompliance between the two facilities, nine (9) items remained at each facility. Items of noncompliance resulted in missed safety checks, youth being forced to urinate in their rooms, youth not attending or late to class, youth not being provided the access to programs, recreation, and outside exercise, staff not being trained in use of force, lack of facility searches, and an unacceptable plan for discipline.
  • May 23, 2023, BSCC Board Meeting: BSCC Board finds both Central Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall unsuitable pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code section 209 (a) 4. Unsuitability is based upon the failure of the Los Angeles County Probation Department to file an approved Corrective Action Plan for the remaining outstanding items of noncompliance at both facilities.

See  BSCC Board Meeting May 23, 2023 (hour/minute 8:48)

  • May 2023 — August 2024: BSCC staff provides ongoing technical assistance to the county to prepare the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall for reception of youth transferred from Central and Barry J Nidorf Juvenile Halls.
  • August 14 — 18, 2023: BSCC inspection of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall following transfer of all youth from Central and Barry J Nidorf Juvenile Halls. Twelve items of noncompliance with Title 15 were identified, almost all related to deficiencies with staffing. Of concern is noncompliance that results in late and missed safety checks, inappropriate and undocumented use of room confinement, youth not getting to school on time, and youth not having access to recreation or programs. An approved CAP is due to the BSCC on 10/17/2023.
  • October 16, 2023: BSCC receives approved CAP for Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall; corrective action must remedy items of noncompliance no later than January 10, 2024.
  • January 29 — February 3, 2023: BSCC follow up inspection to verify that items of noncompliance were remedied by 1/10/24; BSCC staff found that only one of the twelve outstanding items of non-compliance had been corrected. Eleven items of noncompliance were not remedied following 90 days from the date of the approved CAP.
  • April 11, 2024, BSCC Board Meeting: BSCC Boards makes a determination that the facility is suitable. However, the Board directs BSCC staff to conduct inspections of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and the Barry J Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility at a minimum of twice a month to monitor compliance.
  • Between April 2024 and September 2024, BSCC staff conduct a total of nine (9) inspections of the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. A portion of the inspections were unannounced.
  • June 28, 2024: Following the June Targeted Inspection, BSCC staff provides facility staff with an IIR noticing noncompliance with section 1371, Programs, Recreation, and Exercise. BSCC staff observed that while facility staff had documented that youth participated in these activities; review of video of unit activities demonstrated that activities were not occurring. Facility staff had been falsifying documentation to indicate that required activities had occurred. A CAP is due to the BSCC by August 8, 2024; the county provided an approved CAP to the BSCC on August 8, 2024.
  • August 12, 2024: Following the July Targeted Inspection, BSCC staff provides facility staff with an IIR noticing noncompliance with section 1321, Staffing. Many areas of operation continue to be impacted by lack of staffing including education, recreation and medical appointments. Youth continue to be held in their rooms for long periods of time following incidents on the unit. A CAP is due to the BSCC by October 11, 2024.
  • October 1, 2024: BSCC staff reach out to Los Angeles Probation staff to offer technical assistance prior to anticipated CAP submittal; no response received.
  • October 10, 2024: Los Angeles provides a draft CAP to BSCC staff in late afternoon. BSCC respond that the draft CAP would not be approvable because there is no detail on what steps will be taken to resolve the item of noncompliance and many elements that are required by BSCC policy are not included in the CAP.
  • October 11, 2024: Final CAP is provided to the BSCC. The county is notified that the CAP is denied because it does not adequately outline how the Department plans to correct the issue of noncompliance nor does it provide reasonable timeframes for resolution of the staffing deficiencies, including ensuring that “there are an adequate number of personnel sufficient to carry out the overall facility operation and its programming, to provide for safety and security of youth and staff, and meet established standards and regulations.” The CAP also does not provide information on how it will “ensure that no required services shall be denied because of insufficient numbers of staff on duty absent exigent circumstances.”
  • October 14, 2024: BSCC Board Chair Penner formally noticed Los Angeles that Los Padrinos was unsuitable due to the failure of the county to submit an approved CAP pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 209 (d), and that they had 60 days (December 12, 2024) to discontinue using the facility for the confinement of minors until brought into compliance with the law.
  • December 2, 2024: Los Angeles County Probation requests a reinspection to determine if the facility had come into compliance with section 1321, Staffing.
  • December 5 — 6, 2024: BSCC staff conducts the reinspection and determines that the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall remains out of compliance with staffing and that timely delivery to medical programs, attendance at school, and access to program, recreation, and exercise continues to be negatively impacted by the lack of staff.

 

Attachments:

10/24/2024 BSCC Initial Inspection Report

12/2/2024 Letter-BSCC Requesting Reinspection

12/10/2024 Los Padrinos JH Reinspection

12/11/2024 Notice of Appeal re Los Padrinos

12/13/2024 BSCC Acknowledgment of Receipt of Notice of Appeal