California Attorney General Seeks Control of Troubled Juvenile Hall
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Wednesday his intention to petition the court for state control over the LORD Hall. This move follows serious issues the facility has faced, including riots, drug overdoses, allegations of child abuse, and the tragic deaths of teenagers.
In his statement, Bonta expressed the goal of placing the county hall under “acceptance,” which would allow court-appointed officials to take over its management from the LA County probation department. This includes oversight of budgeting, staffing, and employment matters.
Bonta is expected to elaborate on this during a press conference set for 9:45 a.m. in downtown LA, although no immediate response was available from a probation department spokesperson.
The facility has been mired in scandals and has seen little improvement under the probation department’s management. In 2023, two facilities were shut down for consistently failing to adhere to California’s basic standards for youth care. Additionally, the death of 18-year-old Brian Diaz from a drug overdose at a supposed safe treatment facility highlighted ongoing issues, with reports of Xanax and opium overdoses among youth at the hall surfacing frequently in recent months.
In recent years, around 30 probation officers have faced criminal charges tied to their conduct while on duty. Earlier this year, an incident involved officers facilitating or turning a blind eye to “Gladiator’s Battle” fights between juveniles. Furthermore, daily staffing shortages have left the halls severely undermanned.
Bonta described the move to take over Los Angeles County’s juvenile hall as a last resort to ensure the safety and well-being of the young residents. He emphasized that the state has been proactive for four and a half years in trying to make improvements but has continually witnessed setbacks.
This idea of requesting state intervention was first brought up by Bonta in May amidst inquiries into the probation department’s long-standing issues. The California Attorney General’s Office began investigating LA County’s juvenile hall in 2018, revealing that the staff frequently misused pepper spray, failed to provide adequate programming, and kept young people isolated for extended periods. A 2021 court settlement aimed at enhancing conditions and reducing excessive force appears to have backfired, with reports indicating an uptick in incidents of staff using force against youths.
Moreover, the LA County Inspector’s Office has released multiple reports confirming that the facility is failing to meet the conditions set out by the state oversight agreement. One probation officer was even arrested for providing false information about a violent episode after video evidence contradicted their report.
After closing the state and county’s other major detention centers, the Rospadrino boys hall in Downey was reopened but quickly descended into disorder. Within the first month, there was a riot, an escape attempt, and even a firearm smuggled into the facility.
Late last year, both the state and community amendment boards shut down Los Padrinos due to similar failures, but the probation chief seemingly disregarded this, prompting Bonta to call for intervention. Ultimately, a judge ordered the probation department to begin clearing Rospadrino until it can comply with state standards.
