LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to explore moving responsibility for juvenile offenders out of the Probation Department.
Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Sheila Kuehl co-wrote the motion calling for a task force to consider charging another agency with overseeing young offenders, aiming to create a “rehabilitative, health-focused and care-first system.” [Read the motion here.]
The move signaled a view by some board members that the Probation Department cannot be sufficiently revamped to meet the county’s vision for more compassionate care.
“This board must ask itself if the structure of the Probation Department itself is limiting and even counterproductive in the pursuit of reform,” Ridley-Thomas said, calling the model at juvenile halls and camps “fundamentally flawed.”
Kuehl said recent research supports a “care-first” philosophy.
“Punitive approaches have not been shown to make things any better, but rather to worsen them over time,” Kuehl said.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she recently visited Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and what she saw there was “appalling.”
Barger told her colleagues, “I would argue that they’re more broken coming out than going in … if we don’t do something … they’re going to end up being inmates in our jails.”
Another advocate said the halls are sterile environments that offer little hope to residents.
“There is no music, there is no color, there is no laughter,” the woman said.
Roughly nine out of 10 probation youth suffer from mental health issues, and the county’s probation reform and implementation team recently recommended placing “these youth with an agency staffed with people who are subject matter experts in mental health diagnosis, assessment, education and treatment.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently moved the state’s Division of Juvenile Justice out of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and into the Department of Health and Human Services.
Ridley-Thomas said it was time to make a change at the county level.
“Change isn’t necessarily easy, but the fact is that it’s necessary,” he said.
Supervisor Janice Hahn said she supports a “care first” model, but had hoped to find solutions other than a separation of adult and youth probationers.
“I keep feeling like we have not explored all the options for reform,” Hahn said.
In an earlier effort to solve problems, the board effectively split the department in two in 2016, hiring former assistant sheriff Terri McDonald as chief deputy and former Santa Clara County probation chief Sheila Mitchell to oversee juvenile probationers.
Both Ridley-Thomas and Kuehl said their motion wasn’t directed at McDonald or Mitchell.
“It’s not a personal matter,” Ridley-Thomas said.
Kuehl said: “It’s not about people.”
Dozens of criminal justice advocates spoke out in support of the plan, saying the department was too focused on enforcement.
Kim McGill of the Youth Justice Coalition said that attitude is emphasized by probation officers wearing badges and uniforms that mimic law enforcement, “some armed with guns and all armed with pepper spray.”
The board voted in February to phase out the use of oleoresin capsicum spray at juvenile camps and halls by the end of the year. Juvenile justice advocates say the use of pepper spray is unwarranted and amounts to child abuse, while some probation officers say they need it as a tool to protect themselves against physically aggressive juvenile offenders.
In April, six probation officers were charged with assault and/or cruelty for the allegedly illegal use of pepper spray on five teenage girls at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.
McGill and others said a focus on education and youth development programs would make a difference in young people’s lives.
Lex Steppling of Dignity & Power Now said he had to drop out of high school because his parents were in jail.
“It was youth development programs that did give me a safe space, that did give me an education,” Steppling told the board.
Others complained that too much money is spent on staff salaries and benefits and not enough on programs and services for the youth in custody.
But probation officers and union representatives took offense.
“It’s very insulting” to the probation officers who dedicate themselves to helping young people, probation officer Jonathan Byrd told the board, pushing back against an allegation that he and others were “just custody trained.”
Hans Liang of Local 685, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, which represents probation officers, said the department had historically pushed for progressive changes to the system.
Hahn ultimately voted in favor of the motion, acknowledging that she didn’t have support for an alternative.
“I want to vote no, but I’m going to vote yes,” Hahn said, before making the vote unanimous.
The board directed the task force to look at legal or other issues that might stand in the way of moving the juvenile side of probation into another department and to recommend which department or agency, including a newly created group, would be best.
–
Sickofitall says
If the public really knew what was going on in the system they would be appalled. It’s more like 2 out of 10 inmates have mental health issues. They play the game, and instructed on what to say by their lawyers and child advocates. They know exactly what to say to get what they want. They know what to say to get put on certain MH medications, many cheek them and save them to sell or trade for snacks, or hoard them until they have enough to get high off of. These are not your normal everyday children you see in school and playing with their friends. These kids are criminals, hardcore gangsters that wouldn’t think twice about stabbing you or pulling a gun on you for your phone and wallet with $5 in it. Quit acting like these are honor role students!! I am lucky i did my time back in the day when they taught you self respect, accountability and pride in ourselves. There were consequences for your actions, Good and bad. We did PT daily, and came out healthier then when we went in. Mentally and physically. They cant even do PT anymore, cause its considered child abuse, yet every kid in high school has to do some sort of PT in school. Its riduculous!!
There are no consequences anymore, they can gang bang, get high, fight, and assault staff and nothing is done!! They get the same rewards as the kids who are actually doing good. The liberals and there participation trophies are not doing any good for the kids in the system, now when they get out, they think they can keep doing what they were doing. Why Not? The liberals have engineered a system where the kids don’t care if they are locked up again, they get to keep gang banging, getting high, play video games on BiG screen TVs and officers aren’t allowed to discipline them.
They say it’s all about the children, but it’s really all about the money!! All these so called child advocates and community based organizations want their piece of the pie. Mental health is where all the money is right now, look at all the Fed grants for MH, that’s why most of the kids are so called MH kids, cause the more kids on MH medications the more money they get. Its not suppose to be Disneyland, it’s not suppose to be fun. Its suppose to be a time to reflect on their negative behaviors and hopefully see that they need to change the lifestyle that got them arrested. WHEN ARE THE PEOPLE IN THIS STATE GOING TO WAKE UP? Hopefully you or one of your family members arent the next victims of the criminal element you want to treat like babies!!
Locked up says
I went to juvenile halls and placement until I was 18. It didnt help, I still became involved in criminal activity as an adult. As someone who knows first hand the outcome of locking kids up, I agree with replacing incarceration with something that will actually help kids.
Erwin gee says
The problem is the changes that have been made are treating these kids like dcfs kids. Some not all are violent and need to be removed from the community and placed in structured environments and learn self discipline and respect authority which they lacked before they came into the system. Being allowed to call adults by their first names does not do that. Staff are not their buddies. These kids like the discipline it makes them feel safe. Without it they are in fear and act out putting all at risk. I’m all for rehab mental health services and job training and educational services in our institutions but the way it is being done is not working. Putting others in charge of juveniles like mental health do not know how to work with this population. They have only made things worse. Kids know they are going home in 6 mos or less so their thinking is why do my program I’m going home anyway. That shouldn’t be. They need to work on what got them removed in the 1st place. We need placements that know how to deal with these kids. We don’t have that. Giving in home services for 6 mos or less isn’t enough. The disfunction in the home didn’t start 6 mos ago. It should be for the duration of probation period. Anyone that’s had counseling knows it may take 3-6 mos for the family to develop trust with the therapist. We also need more bilingual therapist. We don’t have that. So if you want real change start with that. Also talk to the dpo’s that do the work not upper management child advocates and others that don’t do the work. They don’t work with these kids. The majority of probation line staff want change but the right change and be given the right tools to do their jobs. I live in la county and I want to feel safe. The changes you are talking about won’t do that. What happened to the idea keeping the community safe.
Diane Tate says
If the youth has not committed a violet crime it seems we should be doing more for them.
Care-First says
The US needs conscription.
Laughing says
Many first world countries have it…
I believe we are turning 2nd world at this point though.
Sad Day says
This so called home like system is going to fail it just setting up these minors to think if I commit a crime 187 ( Murder) 288 ( Child molesters) all I’m going to do is less than a year and we put these criminals back on the street so they can cause more hurt and pain to the public…why don’t we let a child molester babysit one of these advocate child and see if they trust him/her
Jacko says
Juvenile hall or any jail is not suppose to be camp snoopy or six flags. What will change these kids lives is proper discipline and one could argue military style discipline would be one idea.
If teens realize there are no consequences for their actions they will continue with bad behaviors and turn into life time criminals if all they get is camp snoopy “punishment.”
If there is true mental illness then yes those issues need to be addressed with proper treatment also. The hard part is figuring out who truly has mental illness and who is using that as a excuse.