LA COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER RESPONDS TO ATTORNEY GENERAL’S CALL FOR RECEIVERSHIP OF COUNTY JUVENILE HALLS

Los Angeles County Public Defender, Ricardo D. García, issued the following statement in response to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s call for the state to take control of the County’s juvenile halls through receivership:

“The protection of our youth is central to our wellbeing as a community. We believe in LA County’s vision of Youth Justice Reimagined and a system that focuses on healing trauma and ensuring a young person’s most basic needs are met. Any state intervention must prioritize the safety, well-being, and constitutional rights of every youth. Instead of further investment in a carceral system, state action should prioritize lasting transformation of how the criminal legal system treats its most vulnerable youth and continue to move away from punishment toward healing, education, and care, not cages.“