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Board opposes proposed Pine Grove intake rule that would bar youth with childhood asthma
Summary
Supervisors approved a 5-signature letter asking California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation not to change Pine Grove camp eligibility to bar youth with a history of childhood asthma, saying the rule would disproportionately exclude youth from pollution-impacted communities.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to send a five-signature letter opposing a proposed California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) change that would bar young people with a history of childhood asthma from placement at Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp.
Supervisor Lindsay Horvath and Supervisor Janice Hahn joined Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and others in describing Pine Grove as a rehabilitative program that trains incarcerated young men in wildland firefighting and provides job-training pathways. Horvath said the camp “has a long history of rehabilitation over punishment and second chances” and urged the state not to close the door on youth from communities with higher asthma prevalence.
Why it matters: Supervisors noted that environmental injustice and pollution in many Los Angeles neighborhoods have increased childhood asthma rates, particularly in Black and Latino communities along the 110 and 710 freeways and near industrial sites. Speakers and board members argued that a lifetime diagnosis of asthma — even if no longer active — would effectively ban many county youth from the only state-run firefighting rehabilitation option.
Board action: The board approved the motion (moved by Hahn, seconded by Solis) to send the letter to CDCR asking the agency not to adopt a categorical ban on youth with a history of childhood asthma and instead to apply medical exclusions only where clinically necessary. Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and others added support, noting the county’s responsibility to expand, not narrow, constructive alternatives for justice-involved youth.
Public comment: Community members and formerly incarcerated people testified in support of maintaining access to Pine Grove, saying the program provides training, structure and career pathways. One caller said he had concealed a childhood asthma diagnosis to be allowed to attend the camp, underscoring the choice facing many youth.
Outcome: The board approved the letter by unanimous vote; staff will prepare and send the five-signature letter to the state.
