Los Padrinos juvey hall keeps operating despite shutdown order

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey was housing youth detainees Friday, as Los Angeles County probation officials appealed a state closure order and a county supervisor called on probation officers to keep the facility staffed.

Los Padrinos has been plagued with management and operational issues since it reopened last year to house youth from Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, both of which the state ordered the county to close.

State regulators have identified issues at Los Padrinos that include short-staffing, attempted escapes and allegations of violence among youths detained at the facility, sometimes witnessed by probation officers who allegedly did not intervene. In October, the Board of State and Community Corrections, which oversees detention facilities, determined Los Padrinos was unsuitable to house youth and set a Dec. 12 deadline for the LA County Probation Department to correct staffing deficiencies or close the facility.

In a recent follow-up inspection, the BSCC found that the problems were not corrected and the closure deadline remained.

Despite the Thursday closure order, LA County, has no other appropriate facility to house Los Padrinos’ approximately 260 detainees.

Probation Department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said in a statement agency officials have appealed the BSCC’s finding of unsuitability “through existing regulations, and have further asked them to rescind their unsuitability finding from recent inspections.”

“While we fully agree with safety and security standards, we disagree with their application of regulations and overall findings, particularly around staffing ratios,” Waters said. “The department fully intends to keep Los Padrinos open and operational.

“It’s also important to note that the youth currently housed at the facility are for the most part awaiting adjudication and facing very serious offenses. For the sake of public safety, these youth would not be eligible to be housed in a less secure facility, and certainly would not benefit with any further disruption to their education and programming opportunities,” Waters said.

About one-third of the detainees at Los Padrinos are charged with murder, attempted murder, sexual assault or robbery, according to Waters.

The BSCC is scheduled to meet Wednesday. Los Padrinos likely will without state authorization until then, when the board may consider rescinding its closure order.

On Thursday, 4th District Supervisor Janice Hahn called on Los Padrinos probation officers to work their shifts.

“What we are facing are staffing challenges, not facility challenges,” Hahn said. “Contrary to what the (probation officers’) union is claiming, we have adequate numbers of staff on payroll and we have been actively recruiting and hiring which we will continue to do. But the reality is that many probation officers are not showing up to work and that puts an unfair burden on those who do and undermines the rehabilitation of the youth.”

Hahn said she was “calling on all of our probation officers to show up to work in their assigned shifts. This is an emergency. You are peace officers and we need you now more than ever.”

The L.A. County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union, AFSCME Local 685, has blamed the county for inadequate staffing. In an October statement that followed the unsuitability ruling, the union said “chronic understaffing and untenable working conditions” have “put an immense burden” on Los Padrinos officers.

“This closure highlights the ongoing crisis our department faces and the urgent need for increased staffing to ensure the safety and well-being of both staff and the youth in our care,” according to the union. “This recent decision underscores the gravity of our situation and the need for immediate action from County leadership. We are committed to continuing this fight for the staffing levels and support (officers) need.”

State regulators appear to have little ability to force the county to follow the order, and it was unclear what consequences the county could face for defying the state’s closure order. The BSCC counsel said at a November public meeting that officials were discussing a possible lawsuit against LA County.

“I would fully expect on Dec. 13 that someone — maybe not this board — will probably file suit,” BSCC member Jeffrey Macomber said in November. “I fully expect that’s how this would probably play out.”

Hahn observed that relocating detainees “is not going to be better for them. We have done it in the past and it has only caused more chaos and harm. Now that we have no other juvenile facility licensed to house pre-disposition youth, closing Los Padrinos would mean many of them would likely be sent to county jail which is the worst case scenario.”

The confusion over Los Padrinos was heightened last week when Probation Department Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa announced retirement plans. This week, however, Viera Rosa backed off his announced year-end exit, saying he now plans to stay with the embattled agency while it contends with the persistent juvenile detention problems.

“We face significant challenges, but I believe we are building a strong foundation, and there is more to be done,” Viera Rosa said in a statement Tuesday. “I remain fully committed to working with my staff, partners, county and State leaders to ensure we turn the tide on challenges the department has faced.”

The BSCC has scheduled an emergency meeting for Dec. 18 to discuss how it will proceed. 

Updated Dec. 13, 2024, 11:46 a.m.

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