April 25, 2025

Media Contact:
Wendelyn Julien, Executive Director
Email: wjulien@poc.lacounty.gov
Phone: (213) 308-8373
Website: poc.lacounty.gov

L.A. County Probation Oversight Commission Urges Immediate Action Following BSCC and Court Findings

LOS ANGELES, CA —Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission (POC) held a special meeting to address the urgent need to depopulate Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. This follows a court order issued by Judge Miguel Espinoza on April 18, 2025, directing the Los Angeles County Probation Department to present a plan to move youth out of the facility due to continued noncompliance with legal standards.

The Commission voted unanimously to adopt and present a detailed plan, Solutions to Depopulate Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Promote Compliance, to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The plan offers actionable recommendations designed to align with the mandates of the Court, the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the County’s Care First, Jails Last framework.

These recommendations were developed by the POC after hundreds of hours of public and private meetings between POC commissioners and staff with youth, families, Probation staff, attorneys, advocates, and partner agency staff. Thousands of people have attended and viewed the POC meetings on this topic and the POC has received hundreds of public comments, conducted dozens of inspections of each facility multiple times, and used the significant expertise of the commissioners to examine and promote ways to safely and effectively reduce the population. Just yesterday, over 1,000 people attended the meeting live in person and virtually.

Key Recommendations in the POC’s Depopulation Plan Include:

• Immediate, safe release of eligible youth through rapid and thorough reassessments of detention recommendations, higher utilization of the community detention program (CDP), a recommitment to Girls Decarceration, and collaboration with DYD and other stakeholders to ensure support for youth in the community.
• Comprehensive reform of Probation’s Intake, Detention, and Control (IDC) division to reduce the inflow of new youth and uphold the goals and mandates of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Youth Justice Reimagined.
• Expedited movement of post-disposition youth out of Los Padrinos to Probation facilities and community placements.
• Full utilization of Dorothy Kirby Center to include pre-disposition girls and gender-expansive youth, avoiding unnecessary and potentially harmful relocation to Campus Kilpatrick. This will allow for the continued, successful use of Kilpatrick as the SYTF step-down facility.
• Strategic use of Camp Paige for lower-risk, pre-disposition boys.

The POC emphasizes that these changes are achievable, humane, and aligned with both fiscal and public safety goals. Despite multiple outreach attempts, the Probation leadership did not attend the meeting or provide comments on the recommendations.

About the L.A. County Probation Oversight Commission: The Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission is an independent body tasked with promoting transparency, accountability, and improved practices within the probation system. Through oversight, policy recommendations, and community engagement, the POC strives to enhance public safety and rehabilitative outcomes.

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