California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta has requested that a court grant the state control over Los Angeles County’s juvenile detention facilities due to unsafe conditions, including violence and drug abuse among incarcerated youth. Bonta aims to appoint a third-party receiver to manage these facilities, taking over operations from the Los Angeles County Probation Department, which has reportedly failed to comply with a 2021 court order for reforms.
Bonta cited serious safety issues such as youth-on-youth violence, riots, unmet medical needs, low staffing levels, inadequate security measures, and drug overdoses, including a fatal incident involving a teenager. Earlier in the year, Bonta indicted 30 probation officers for allegedly facilitating violent fights between juveniles.
He expressed that a receivership is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the young people in these facilities, stating, “These young people deserve better.” The attorney general also proposed the establishment of a compensation fund for incarcerated youth to address injuries suffered during their time in custody, as well as to cover medical and educational expenses.
A hearing is scheduled for August 15, and if approved, the receiver could be appointed by the end of summer. The request follows previous designations of “unsuitable” conditions at Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Halls by the Board of State and Community Corrections, which found ongoing issues such as inadequate safety checks and staffing. This development comes after California transitioned control from state-run youth prisons to local jurisdictions as part of a broader reform initiative.
