Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall still operating despite shutdown order

DOWNEY — Despite an order by state regulators to close the facility, Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall was continuing to house youth detainees Thursday while Los Angeles County probation officials appealed for reconsideration of a closure order, and a county supervisor called on all probation officers to show up for work to keep the facility staffed.

The juvenile hall in Downey has been plagued with management and operational issues since it was hastily reopened last year to house detainees relocated from Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, which were both ordered closed by the state.

But after a successful relocation operation, Los Padrinos has suffered from short-staffing, allegations of violence among detainees sometimes while probation officers allegedly stood by without intervening, and escape attempts. In October, the Board of State and Community Corrections, which oversees detention facilities, deemed Los Padrinos unsuitable to house youth, and gave the county a Dec. 12 deadline to correct staffing deficiencies or close the facility.

According to various reports, a recent follow-up inspection by the BSCC found that the problems were persisting, and the closure deadline remained in place.

The county, however, has no other viable facility to house the roughly 260 youth who are detained at Los Padrinos.

Vicky Waters, communications director for the Los Angeles County Probation Department, said in a statement the agency has 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."

The BSCC is not scheduled to meet again until Dec. 18, meaning the county would likely have to operate Los Padrinos without state authorization for at least a week before the board even considers a reversal of its closure order.

With staffing shortages looming as the major sticking point for the facility, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn issued a statement Thursday calling on probation officers assigned to work at Los Padrinos to show up for 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 is "calling on all of our probation officers to show up to work in their assigned shifts."

"This is an emergency," she said. "You are peace officers and we need you now more than ever."

The L.A. County Deputy Probation Officers' Union, AFSCME Local 685, has laid blame on the county for staffing issues. In a statement issued after the BSCC's unsuitability ruling for Los Padrinos in October, the union blamed "chronic understaffing and untenable working conditions" that have "put an immense burden" on probation officers assigned to the facility.

"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," the union stated.

It was unclear what consequences the county might face for continuing to operate Los Padrinos in defiance of the BSCC closure order. Luis Rodriguez, chief of the juvenile division for the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, told the Los Angeles Times the office will go to court to petition for the release of more than 100 youth it represents at Los Padrinos.

"We call for the immediate release of our clients to their families or to non-carceral housing that provide trauma-informed care, access to education, and consistent rehabilitative support," county Public Defender Ricardo Garcia said in a statement to The Times. "Every day they remain in an unsuitable facility deepens the harm and undermines their future."

Hahn said in her statement that given the county's lack of any other facility to house all of the 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 exacerbated last week when county Probation Department Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa announced that he planned to retire by the end of the year. But Viera Rosa backed off of that announcement this week, saying he now plans to stay with the agency while it navigates the issues surrounding juvenile detention.

"We face significant challenges, but I believe we are building a strong foundation, and there is more to be done," county Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement released 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."