State regulators to again consider declaring Los Padrinos unsuitable

DOWNEY — With its staff alleging persistent failure by the county to meet operating requirements, a state regulatory panel Thursday will consider declaring a pair of Los Angeles County juvenile detention facilities unsuitable for housing youth detainees.

The California Board of State and Community Corrections, meeting in Sacramento, will discuss the suitability of the recently opened Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey and the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar.

During recent inspections of both facilities, state regulators cited shortcomings in various areas, including staffing levels, training, disciplinary procedures and youth access to programs and recreation.

If the BSCC determines the facilities are unsuitable for youth detention, the county will be ordered to quickly implement corrective actions or the facilities might be ordered to close.

County officials, however, are asking the BSCC to delay a decision on the matter, citing "the lack of time" between the latest violation notice from the agency and the need to develop "a comprehensive reconstruction plan" of the county's detention services.

Instead, the county is asking the board to approve the creation of an "Operational Reconstruction Strike Team," which would include BSCC officials and the county Probation Department "to assist in an extensive operational reconstruction of its juvenile hall compliance efforts."

The county reopened Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall last year and transferred all pre-disposition youth to the facility, moving them away from Nidorf Hall in Sylmar and Central Juvenile Hall in Lincoln Heights. The move followed the BSCC's declaration last year that both facilities were found unsuitable to house youth detainees.

Nidorf still operates as a Secure Youth Treatment Facility for post- disposition youth offenders.

Not long after it opened, Los Padrinos was quickly plagued by issues highlighting the difficulties of operating such a facility. The facility experienced a pair of escapes, although both detainees were quickly re- apprehended. In January, eight probation officers were placed on leave for a "significant incident" involving detainees. The Los Angeles Times reported that the officers stood idly by while a teen detainee was beaten by a group of other youths.

BSCC inspectors reviewed both Los Padrinos and Nidorf Hall last August and reported multiple areas of non-compliance with state regulations. The county responded with corrective action plans and follow-up reports indicating it was achieving compliance.

But follow-up inspections conducted in January and February continued to find both facilities still out of compliance -- with nearly a dozen shortcomings listed at Los Padrinos and seven problem areas lingering at Nidorf.

In a statement last week, county Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa said the agency is committed to bringing the facilities into full compliance. But he added, "Making the comprehensive changes requested by the BSCC and shifting the overall culture of the county's juvenile institutions is a monumental undertaking that necessitates both time and dedication."

"We have the dedication, we need the time. The issues identified by BSCC and others have been persistent for over 20 years. We cannot piecemeal the solution. This is a systemic problem that requires changing an entire operational culture."

He also referenced what he called "conflicting requirements" imposed by the BSCC and state Department of Justice as hampering the efforts.

"It's important to understand that these conflicting mandates create confusion, add complexity to our compliance efforts, and ultimately delay our ability to meet the standards set by the BSCC and other external agencies," Rosa said. "Streamlining and harmonizing these requirements is essential to expediting our compliance efforts and ensuring that we can effectively meet all regulatory obligations."

He repeatedly insisted that BSCC has declined to give the county enough time to fully implement operational changes.

"While the goals that BSCC has given to us are not ambitious in and of themselves -- the timeframe they gave us to complete the work is," he said. "To effectuate meaningful change, it is imperative to address deeply ingrained practices and foster a cultural shift that prioritizes rehabilitation, support, and the well-being of the young individuals in our care."

But county Supervisor Janice Hahn issued a statement saying the Probation Department has long known what the issues are at the juvenile halls, and she was disappointed that improvements are so slow in coming.

"We have long known what the BSCC's expectations were and it is troubling that the department made so little progress and fell so short in meeting them," Hahn said. "It is clear that our Probation Department has enormous challenges, from staffing to programming, but it is imperative that we bring these two facilities into compliance because the future of the youth in our care is in jeopardy. I pledge to put every available county resource behind bringing these facilities into compliance. The alternative is unacceptable."