Attorney General Bonta Announces Additional Monitoring, Strengthened Protections for Youth in Los Angeles County Juvenile Halls

Amended judgment to address serious ongoing deficiencies in the treatment and conditions of youth at Barry J. Nidorf and Los Padrinos Juvenile Halls

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a joint motion with the County of Los Angeles to amend the court judgment addressing conditions in the County's juvenile halls following the County's failure to improve conditions and provide adequate staffing as required under an earlier settlement and a court order enforcing that settlement last year. Following alarming reports from an independent monitor about the continued deterioration of conditions at Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, Attorney General Bonta determined additional judgment terms and monitoring were necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of youth at these facilities. The amended judgment, which is subject to court approval, will require additional policy and practice changes, staffing, and training to address the illegal and unsafe conditions at these facilities, and will strengthen and extend the monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure the County's full compliance with the judgment.

"The County of Los Angeles is responsible for safeguarding the safety and well-being of the children at its juvenile halls - and it has utterly failed in this responsibility to date," said Attorney General Bonta. "These new terms will strengthen oversight and accountability, and lead to necessary and overdue improvement to conditions at these facilities. As the state's chief law enforcement officer, I take my responsibility seriously, and I know that we won't break the cycle of incarceration without ensuring the education, healing, and rehabilitation of those involved in the juvenile justice system. I am hopeful that this new, expanded agreement will address persistent problems at these juvenile halls, but my office will be watching closely and ready to take further action if needed."

Last year, Attorney General Bonta sought and secured a motion to enforce various provisions of the judgment. However, following some initial progress, the monitor again began to raise the alarm over multiple serious threats to youth safety including the County's failure to adequately staff the juvenile halls; to stem the flow of drugs; to prevent staff from instigating or encouraging youth-on-youth assaults; to deliver youth to medical appointments; to prevent retaliation against youth who file grievances; and to ensure cameras are installed in all areas and that video footage is reviewed, among other concerns.

As part of the amended judgment, filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, the County of Los Angeles will be subject to the following additional terms:

• Strengthening Monitoring and Accountability: The judgment maintains semi-annual comprehensive monitoring reports, and now requires the reports to be publicly filed with the court. In addition, the judgment requires monthly monitoring reports on critical health and safety issues. The judgment provides for the appointment of a deputy monitor at each facility in the event that the County fails to come into compliance with critical judgment terms.
• Ensuring Youth Safety and Wellbeing: The judgment will require the County to ensure timely review of uses of force, address gaps in camera coverage, and establish protocols to review incidents.
• Guaranteeing Access to Services: The judgment will require the County to implement an electronic data system to help ensure that youth have access to outside recreation, religious services, and visitation. The judgment will also require the County to implement a plan to address the County's persistent failure to timely deliver youth to medical appointments.
• Addressing the Staffing Crisis: The judgment requires the County to implement a revised plan to resolve the staffing crisis that addresses required minimum staffing levels based on facility population, leave abuses, and staff recruitment, retention, and wellness.
• Preventing Retaliation: The judgment requires the County to establish a monitor-approved anti-retaliation policy, and hire and train an ombudsperson at each hall to address youth grievances and prevent retaliation.
• Revising Inadequate Polices: The judgment requires the County to revise inadequate policies on: (1) reducing violence, including staff instigated violence and ensuring timely and adequate investigations; and (2) reporting child abuse.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting the rights of youth in California and across the country. As part of those efforts, he has fought to foster safe and inclusive school environments, defended the rights of LGBTQ youth, and pushed our schools to provide an inclusive curriculum that reflects the diversity of our state and nation. Attorney General Bonta has also worked to address critical and system shortfalls within schools districts to prevent discrimination, harassment, and abuse, including a recent judgment with the Redlands Unified School District to address failures in their response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students. You can learn more about the Attorney General's work to protect the rights of youth through the Bureau of Children's Justice at oag.ca.gov/bcj.

Attorney General Bonta encourages those with information regarding suspected practices violating state or federal law involving children to report them through the California Department of Justice's online complaint form at oag.ca.gov/bcj/complaint.

A copy of the joint motion to amend the stipulated judgment is available here.