State regulators have officially approved the reopening of Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey as a replacement for two other county facilities that were deemed unsuitable for housing youth, according to county officials on Friday.
The county Probation Department has informed the county that Los Padrinos has passed its pre-opening inspection, allowing it to house up to 317 “pre-disposition” youth, who have pending criminal cases. The plan is to house no more than 275 to 300 youth on the 26-acre campus.
In response to the Board of State and Community Corrections’ ruling in May that Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and Central Juvenile Hall in Lincoln Heights were not suitable for housing pre-disposition youth, construction and probation crews have been working diligently for the past two months to prepare Los Padrinos for this purpose. The board had mandated that all detainees be relocated within 60 days.
The board identified several ongoing violations of state standards at the facilities, including unsanitary housing conditions, limited access to education and other programs for detainees, and staff shortages.
Prior to the regulators’ decision, the county Board of Supervisors had approved a plan on May 2 to relocate all pre-disposition youth to Los Padrinos. Under this plan, Central Juvenile Hall would only serve as an intake unit and medical and diagnostic/assessment hub for youth, while Nidorf would exclusively house post-disposition Secure Youth Track Facility youth.
Interim Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa stated that the BSCC’s approval marked a significant milestone in the effort to reopen Los Padrinos. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and unity among county departments in achieving this goal in a timely manner.
The renovation work at Los Padrinos included new paint, flooring, furnishings, mattresses, fixtures, cameras, lighting upgrades, intercoms, plumbing, and partitions for restroom privacy, according to the county. The facility, originally opened in 1957, comprises 37 buildings, including living units, dormitories, a kitchen, classrooms, recreation areas, library, infirmary, laundry, chapel, gym, and pool.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
