State Allows Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center To Take 275 Youth Inmates From Controversial Inmates – Daily News

State regulators have approved Los Angeles County’s plan to consolidate 275 juvenile detainees into Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center ahead of the state’s closure of two other juvenile detention centers in the county later this month.

This approval was one of the last major hurdles before the county probation service got started. Move the youth to Los Padrinos at Downey. County officials have worked 16 hours a day in Los Padrinos for the past two months. to meet an imminent deadline from the state Sylmar’s Barry J. Nidow Detention Center and Lincoln Heights Central Detention Center to be emptied by July 23rd Due to “inappropriate” conditions.

Interim Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement that he applauded the county’s efforts and said the state and local corrections board’s approval is in the process of moving forward with the reopening of Los Padrinos, which was closed in 2019. said it was a “huge milestone” for

“This shows what can happen when cross-county colleagues come together, focus on a single goal, and work as a team with a real sense of urgency and purpose,” said Vieira. Rosa said. “Reopening Los Padrinos has been a tough job, but we are accomplishing it in record time.”

BSCC sent a letter to the County of Los Angeles on Friday, July 7, notifying it that the facility had passed its pre-inspection. The approval will allow Los Padrinos to accommodate up to 317 youth. Additional inspections will be required if the county decides to bring more beds online in the future, but county officials said they have no plans to exceed current occupancy limits.

Los Padrinos opened in 1957 and consists of 37 buildings, 19 residential units and 9 dormitories on a 26-acre campus. However, only about nine of the residential units are in use, according to the county. Each area inspected by BSCC had to comply with the standards in force at the time the section was built or the last major renovation took place. As such, different parts of Los Padrinos have had to meet different standards, from 1969 to as recently as 2001.

The county made no permanent structural changes to Los Padrinos, but workers “improved paint, flooring, new furniture, mattresses, fixtures, cameras, interior and exterior lighting upgrades, intercoms, plumbing, bathroom privacy.” Partitions, etc. for ‘completed some repairs. ‘ said the inspection report.

Los Angeles County passed pre-inspection, but a state letter warns Los Padrinos still needs more improvement.

“There were no notable non-compliances, but please keep in mind that this facility was built decades ago and does not meet modern juvenile detention facility construction standards,” the inspector said. Field representative Lisa Southwell writes: “Therefore, BSCC will continue to provide technical assistance and advise on mitigating the obvious current risks to ensure safe and secure operation of the facility.”

BSCC Barry J. Nidoof and Central Juvenile Detention Center Declared ‘Unsuitable’ In May, citing a hostile environment due to ongoing staffing shortages, the county announced that enough children would be needed to send youth to school, spend time outdoors, and take them to the bathroom at night. I’m having a hard time keeping staff. A March report from the Los Angeles County Inspector General’s Office said: Drugs and other contraband flowed easily into the facility It is the result of staffing issues and inadequate security standards at two facilities that will soon close.

Since March, the juvenile detention center has seen at least eight hospitalizations for drug use. May also includes a fatal overdose.

The increased use of canine teeth in searches over the past few months and reforms to juvenile detention centers’ security checkpoints appear to have reduced the amount of drugs found on the premises, but drug abuse incidents still occur, he said. July 7th report From Inspector General Max Huntsman.

“Despite these increased efforts, four youths from BJNJH were hospitalized for suspected illicit drug use over the weekend during this reporting period,” Huntsman wrote. “While the youth survived and returned to institutions, these incidents demonstrate that illegal drugs continue to enter juvenile detention facilities and probation services need to work diligently to prevent it.”

Officials hope that consolidating into Los Padrinos will not only make them feel better, but also allow them to make more efficient use of the county’s limited staff until the agency stabilizes. .

Los Angeles County will continue to use both Barry J. Nidoof and Central for other purposes after the official closing date. Barry J. Nidoof plans to house about 60 people in a safe juvenile treatment facility, another facility that houses locally detained youth following the closure of the state Juvenile Justice Department.

The department is immune to the closure of larger juvenile detention centers by the BSCC Primarily due to oversight of state law, And some advocates have suggested plans to sue SYTF detainees after the July 23 deadline if they are left in “unsuitable” buildings.

Meanwhile, Central will be used as a law enforcement reception facility and medical center for Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidolph.