LA County to appoint compliance officer to oversee juvenile halls

Los Angeles County supervisors called for the appointment of an oversight officer to ensure that juvenile halls comply with state regulations, according to a board motion introduced Tuesday.

The intent behind this temporary position is to help effectively restore the LA County Probation Department’s suitability status as county facilities have repeatedly failed to meet state regulations.

The new compliance officer will be tasked with ensuring the detention facilities meet suitability standards established by the Board of State and Community Corrections and a settlement agreement with the California Department of Justice.

“It is time this board acted to appoint a Compliance Officer to help the Probation Department and other county departments and agencies who operate within the county’s juvenile facilities to gain and sustain compliance with the BSCC regulations and the California DOJ settlement agreement,” according to the board motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey Horvath unanimously approved Tuesday.

“The Probation Department “supports the Board of Supervisors’ decision,” department Chief Guillermo Viera-Rosa said in a statement Thursday. “Our foremost priority is the safety and well-being of the youth in our care, and we are fully committed to meeting the compliance requirements of BSCC and DOJ.

“We appreciate the Board’s leadership in this matter and their ongoing support of our efforts toward continuous improvement,” Viera-Rosa said. “Our goal is to transform our juvenile facilities into safe, healthy, and rehabilitative spaces for the youth we serve, and we are determined to not only meet but exceed the standards set by the BSCC and DOJ.”

In May 2023, the BSCC closed the county’s Central Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, which were found unsuitable to house juveniles. The county then reopened Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, where all youth detainees were transferred. Since its reopening in July 2023, Los Padrinos is the county’s only operating juvenile hall.

Los Padrinos also has received criticism recently from state regulators for issues that include excessive wait times for attorneys, social workers and doctors, inadequate youth programs, inadequate staffing and probation officers placed on leave for misconduct issues.

On Aug. 12, the BSCC sent a notice of noncompliance to Los Padrinos that cited understaffing issues and gave the Probation Department until Oct. 11 to submit a corrective action plan. The department submitted the plan on Oct. 11, and the BSCC rejected it the same day.

The BSCC then declared Los Padrinos unsuitable to house detainees, which could possibly lead to the facility’s closure if violations are not corrected by Dec. 12. That would entail relocating the approximately 300 youth currently at at the facility.

The Board of Supervisors’ motion noted that the LA County Sheriff’s Department has faced similar lapses in compliance with state regulations.

“As a result, Los Angeles County appointed a Compliance Officer within the Chief Executive Office to oversee all matters related to compliance, particularly with the Federal Department of Justice consent decree and the Rutherford settlement agreement,” according to the motion. “While LASD continues to face challenges at Men’s Central Jail, the Compliance Officer has undoubtedly helped the County make significant progress towards compliance with these settlement agreements. It is time that the Probation Department have their own Compliance Officer to help the Department gain and sustain compliance with the BSCC regulations and the California DOJ settlement agreement at Probation’s juvenile hall facilities.”

The supervisors’ Oct. 22 motion directed the county CEO to appoint a compliance officer within 30 days. The position will be considered temporary, remaining in place until the county fully complies with all BSCC and state Justice Department requirements.

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