California asks court to give state control of Los Angeles County’s troubled juvenile halls

LOS ANGELES AP California s top prosecutor noted Wednesday he has questioned a court to give the state control of Los Angeles County s troubled juvenile detention facilities because incarcerated young people are enduring unsafe conditions including violence and rampant drug abuse Attorney General Rob Bonta mentioned he wants the county to hand over administration of the juvenile jails to a third-party receiver a court-appointed official who will take over management and operations from the Los Angeles County Probation Department The official will have control over budgets and staffing decisions This is a last resort but it s also the one left to defend the safety of the young people in these facilities Bonta announced He announced the extraordinary step was necessary because the county has failed to comply with a court order his office secured in requiring sweeping reforms The probation department which oversees the juvenile halls acknowledged certain of the problems raised the by the attorney general but noted it was concerned by Bonta s request for expansive state authority Bonta outlined safety concerns such as youth on youth violence riots unmet curative demands low staffing inadequate guard cameras and drug overdoses including one that led to the death of a teenager Earlier this year Bonta indicted probation officers accused of facilitating so-called gladiator fights between incarcerated juveniles These young people deserve better and my office will not stop until they get it Bonta revealed A receivership is the best and only option to turn Los Angeles County juvenile halls around and we believe the court will agree In addition the attorney general petitioned the court to establish a compensation fund for incarcerated youth to redress and repair the injuries suffered in the county s custody and to cover medicinal and teaching expenses A hearing is set for Aug Bonta noted if the court approves the plan a receiver could be in place by the end of the summer Our hope is that a receivership structure should it be approved be used as a collaborative tool to help remove obstacles not as an isolating mechanism that sidelines the people and systems committed to improvements and change the probation department s report mentioned The department mentioned Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa has worked to curb decades-long dysfunction by stabilizing staffing improving safety protocols increasing accountability for guard misconduct and expanding biological access for the incarcerated Previously the Board of State and Area Corrections issued unsuitable designations for the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Barry J Nidorf Juvenile Hall The state board which inspects the youth prisons had determined that the county had been unable to correct problems including inadequate safety checks low staffing use of force and a lack of recreation and exercise The nonprofit Youth Justice Coalition stated whether or not state receivership is implemented executives should move toward permanently closing the juvenile halls Our tax dollars are being spent to fund the abuse of young people the advocacy group commented in a declaration Wednesday Our youth don t need more red tape and bureaucracy they need an expenditure in care The coalition is pushing for group based services for young offenders that include a high school diploma scheme free expungements and legal services substance abuse and overdose prevention guidance youth jobs and locality organizing and advocacy training the message stated Bonta s request on Wednesday comes four years after California phased out its three remaining state-run youth prisons and shifted the responsibility to counties The move to local control was the final step in a lengthy improvement effort driven in part by a class-action lawsuit and incentives for counties to keep youths out of the state system The state-run system also had a troubled history marked by inmate suicides and brawls Source