Court accepts probation's depopulation plan for Los Padrinos; supervisors press for safeguards and reporting

Lede: Probation officials told the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on June 3 that the Superior Court accepted a court‑filed plan to significantly reduce the population at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall by moving some youth to county camps and reconfiguring others, a step aimed at regaining compliance with the Board of State and Community Corrections.

Nut graf: The department presented details about immediate transfers, use of Camp Page to take in youth ordered to camp, consolidation of girls at Camp Kilpatrick and use of Dorothy Kirby for higher‑needs youth. The court added reporting and reassessment requirements and asked for additional assessments of youth for possible placement at the state Pine Grove fire camp. Supervisors pressed probation on timelines, medical coverage, staffing shortages and family visitation plans; advocates and youth groups urged alternatives to incarceration and accountability for past harms.

Body: Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Villarosa briefed the board on the changes he said the court accepted. “The plan was accepted by the court,” Villarosa told the board, and outlined a sequence in which Camp Page would be used to accept youth immediately after a judge approves camp placement so Los Padrinos population can be drawn down.

Villarosa said the department will consolidate pre‑ and post‑disposition girls at Camp Kilpatrick and use Dorothy Kirby as a specialized high‑needs site. He described reconfigurations at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall (referred to in court filings) to create on‑site step‑down communities and smaller, needs‑based units. “We think that could be done through running smaller communities and by having those communities have specific services for their needs,” he said.

The court attached explicit requirements, Villarosa said: probation must report to the court two weeks prior to moving any youth from Kilpatrick; the department must produce written assessments within 45 days about whether youth are appropriate for placement at the state Pine Grove fire camp; and the department must report back to the court on its progress in July. Villarosa said staff is reviewing every case to find alternatives and that many transfers hinge on judicial orders.

Supervisors pressed for operational detail. Supervisor Holly Mitchell asked about staffing, noting that the department has been subject to enforcement and inspection by BSCC and that staffing shortages are driving the crisis. “This is going to require all of the probation staff,” Villarosa replied, adding that the department is working with county partners on hiring, training and case review.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger asked about use of Pine Grove. Villarosa and other officials said there are no youth presently at Pine Grove and emphasized that the county is trying to encourage eligible youth to volunteer for that program. “If we have a name of a young person that wants to go, please get that to me,” Villarosa said, adding the county has presented Pine Grove staff and participants to youth to encourage interest.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose board motion prompted the report, framed the court‑ordered plan as an interim, urgent response to BSCC compliance issues and said the board will continue to seek transparency and protective measures, including ensuring medical and pregnancy‑related care at Kilpatrick if girls are housed there.

Department of Mental Health and other county partners told the board they are preparing staffing and services for any transfers. Dr. Anastasia Ferreira (Department of Mental Health) said contracts are being amended to expand behavioral health services at all sites; the Department of Public Health said nursing staff would need to be hired to provide 24/7 coverage for pregnant youth if Kilpatrick receives that population.

Probation’s deputy chief described outreach: managers and staff have been meeting with families and community groups and will post updated information on the department website. Juvenile justice advocates pressed the board in public comment for less incarceration and more community‑based care; speakers from the Youth Justice Coalition and Cancel the Contract criticized the department’s track record and urged the board to require annual reauthorization of contracts with the sheriff and additional accountability steps.

Ending: Probation officials said they will provide the board and the court with the assessments and the implementation schedule required by the court; supervisors asked the department to continue reporting publicly on staffing, medical coverage, transportation plans for family visitation and the status of Pine Grove referrals.