State board again finds Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall unsuitable

A state oversight board on Monday said insufficient staffing at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey makes the facility unsuitable to house youth detainees.

The Board of State and Community Corrections rejected the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s plan to address staffing shortages, and the BSCC threatened to close the detention facility if the county is not in compliance by Dec. 12. That would entail relocating the approximately 300 youth currently at Los Padrinos.

The BSCC rejected the Probation Department’s “Corrective Action Plan” to increase staffing “in part, because we determined that the CAP did not adequately outline how the Department plans to correct the issue of noncompliance, nor did it provide reasonable timeframes for resolution of the staffing deficiencies,” according to the board’s letter notifying the county of the unsuitability finding. Board members found 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 Probation Department issued a prepared statement Tuesday responding to the board’s decision:

“We are disappointed with the BSCC’s decision today to find the County’s Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall unsuitable. The County remains fully committed to resolving all the deficiencies identified in its Corrective Action Plan. The Probation Department has, in fact, increased staffing levels at the facility by actively recruiting new personnel, conducting training academies, reallocating officers from field assignments, and utilizing overtime.

“There will be no immediate impact to families, and we will continue to provide services,” the statement continued. “We are committed to transforming our juvenile institution into a safe and nurturing environment for the youth entrusted in our care while we endeavor to demonstrate unequivocally to the BSCC that we are meeting all statutory requirements.”

On Aug. 12, the BSCC issued a notice that the facility did not meet minimum staffing requirements for the majority of July.

“The continued lack of staffing continues to negatively impact delivery of required services and compliance with additional regulations, including education, outdoor recreation, youth being confined in rooms, and youth missing medical appointments,” according to the board.

In February the BSCC found Los Padrinos unsuitable, but reversed that finding in April after the board determined minimum staffing levels and safety checks had been met.

The board’s inspection in August revealed that for a cumulative total of 87 shifts, 15 shifts or 17 % overall did not meet minimum staffing requirements.

According to state law, juvenile halls must fulfill these staffing requirements:

• “during the hours that youth are awake, one wide-awake youth supervision staff member on duty for each 10 youth in detention;
• “during the hours that youth are confined to their room for the purpose of sleeping, one wide-awake youth supervision staff member on duty for each 30 youth in detention;
• “at least two wide-awake youth supervision staff members on duty at all times, regardless of the number of youth in detention, unless an arrangement has been made for backup support services which allow for immediate response to emergencies; and,
• “at least one youth supervision staff member on duty who is the same gender as youth housed in the facility.”

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