County looks to resolve delays in transferring youth out of Los Padrinos

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday requested a report from the chief probation officer assessing the movement of youth out of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall after their court cases are concluded.

The primary purpose of Los Padrinos is to house accused juvenile offenders while their court cases are pending. Once their cases are finalized, the detainees are ordered by a judge into other facilities -- such as a county camp, home detention or a Secure Youth Treatment Facility.

According to a motion by Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis, on any given day at Los Padrinos, 30 to 50 youth, representing about 15% of the overall population, have already had their cases finalized and are awaiting transfer to their next facility, "but for a number of reasons, that transfer has not yet happened."

The motion contends that some youth spend "days or weeks longer than they should," creating a "burden" for Los Padrinos by increasing the population of detainees.

The motion approved by the board asks the probation officer, in conjunction with relevant departments such as Youth Development and Mental Health, to provide data on the movement of youth from Los Padrinos to their next placement. The motion says the goal is to resolve the delay in movement post-disposition youth, exploring issues such as the medical clearance process, mental health assessments and transportation challenges.

"While the department is working to resolve its staffing crisis, increasing access to programming, and implementing homelike renovations, the department must simultaneously work to ensure youth are moving out of Los Padrinos in a timely manner, to decrease the facility's daily population, and ensure the least-restrictive placement for youth," the motion states.

Among the recommendations suggested in the motion are:

-- drafting a policy for a recommended three-day maximum wait time for post-disposition youth to be transferred;

-- streamlining the medical clearance process;

-- exploring efficient and timely transportation options; and

-- training for staff and partners at Los Padrinos to handle paperwork and logistics.

The board also called for implementing a system for continuous monitoring and evaluation of the transfer process, with regular reports presented to the board.

Los Padrinos has been under scrutiny since it was reopened last year.

In February, the California Board of State and Community Corrections declared Los Padrinos and the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar unsuitable to house youths, citing violations ranging from poor staffing levels to inadequate training, education programs, safety plans and disciplinary procedures. The findings were reversed in April after the board determined sufficient improvements were made to address the violations.

In the past year, the Board of Supervisors has also addressed issues with the facility including inadequate staffing, lack of programming for detained youth and long wait times for attorneys trying to meet with their youth clients.