A state board has warned Los Angeles County probation authorities once again that Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey is at risk of being shut down after inspectors found insufficient staffing at the facility.
How we got here
Earlier this year, the Board of State and Community Corrections deemed Los Padrinos unsuitable to house hundreds of youths because of low staffing, failure to conduct safety checks at the proper times, as well as being out of compliance with use-of-force training requirements.
The county Probation Department avoided having to shut down Los Padrinos in April after the board determined minimum requirements on staffing levels and safety checks had been met.
In an Oct. 14 letter to Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa, the board said inspections revealed Los Padrinos was out of compliance with staffing requirements yet again.
The move comes about a year after L.A. County was forced to transfer hundreds of incarcerated youths out of two other facilities the board deemed unsuitable and into Los Padrinos.
The issue
According to the board’s letter, Los Padrinos facility reports from July show that 17% of shifts did not meet the minimum staffing required by the state.
The letter said the lack of staffing leads to several issues at Los Padrinos, including:
- Some medical appointments being canceled
- Youths being late to their education programs
- Outdoor recreation time canceled
Probation response
The Probation Department said in a statement Wednesday that it was disappointed by the board’s finding. The department said that the unsuitability finding would have “no immediate impact to families” and that the department will continue to provide services.
“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,” the department said in an email.
What's next
According to the board, the Probation Department has until Dec. 12 to comply with the staffing requirements or move some 300 youths out of the facility.
