{"id":30644,"date":"2021-01-13T10:46:14","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T18:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=30644"},"modified":"2021-01-13T10:46:14","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T18:46:14","slug":"attorney-general-becerra-los-angeles-county-enter-into-groundbreaking-settlements-to-protect-the-rights-of-youth-in-the-juvenile-justice-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=30644","title":{"rendered":"Attorney General Becerra, Los Angeles County Enter into Groundbreaking Settlements to Protect the Rights of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System"},"content":{"rendered":"

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles County, and the Los Angeles County Office of Education today entered into settlements to improve the conditions and education services in the County’s juvenile halls. The settlements come after a California Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and work to address serious deficiencies regarding the treatment and conditions of confinement of youth in juvenile detention in the County, as well as concerns regarding the inadequate provision of education services to justice-involved youth. As a result of the investigation, the County of Los Angeles \u2014 including its Probation Department, Department of Mental Health, and Department of Health Services \u2014 and the Los Angeles County Office of Education have agreed to take a wide range of corrective actions, to be overseen by an independent monitor and subject matter experts, aimed at securing positive outcomes for justice-involved youth and ensuring systemic improvements to the County\u2019s juvenile halls.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of our core duties as a society is to lay the foundation for our children to build a better future,\u201d\u00a0said Attorney General Becerra.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThat has to be at the center of what we do as government when youth are entrusted to our care. Our institutions must strive to build up the most vulnerable among us. Regardless of what got them there, our youth deserve a chance to prepare themselves to launch a better life. We cannot condone or ignore any system that allows our kids to be mistreated or dehumanized. I applaud the County for working with us to correct the wrongs uncovered by our investigation and committing to help these youth get the resources they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

“This groundbreaking settlement opens a new chapter in Los Angeles County\u2019s commitment to serving the young people in our care. It is an important element in the extensive juvenile justice reforms underway to ensure that while these youth are in the County\u2019s camps and halls, they receive the support and education they deserve in a non-punitive environment,\u201d\u00a0said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis, Supervisor to the First District.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cAlthough the findings in this case are troubling, this is a positive outcome that will make a meaningful difference to young people and families involved with our juvenile justice system. Los Angeles County fully cooperated with the Attorney General\u2019s Office to achieve this settlement because it is our collective goal to improve our justice system, including creating opportunities in and pathways back to the community, so that our youth have the best chance and opportunity to thrive into adulthood. I want to thank Attorney General Becerra for his partnership in getting to this point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need to shift the County\u2019s youth justice system towards a developmentally appropriate rehabilitative paradigm and away from a punitive approach is needed more than ever,\u201d\u00a0said Supervisor Holly Mitchell.<\/strong>\u201cThis settlement agreement presents an opportunity to strengthen accountability and bolster the work of transforming and reimagining youth justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very pleased that we\u2019ve reached this settlement, as, in the short-term, it will jumpstart\u00a0the County\u2019s own plans to reimagine justice systems for our youth, and, in the long term, will align the state and County efforts to reform juvenile justice.\u00a0This settlement, and the conditions that gave rise to it,\u00a0 only underscore the need\u00a0to expedite\u00a0the County\u2019s sweeping plan to reimagine youth justice and ensure that more of our young people receive care in community settings,\u201d\u00a0said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is too bad it took a lawsuit, but I think these reforms are long overdue and will mean the young people in our care will truly be given the second chance that they deserve,\u201d\u00a0said Supervisor Janice Hahn.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We at the Los Angeles County Office of Education are passionate about our work and firm in our belief in the power of education to transform the lives of at-promise students in our juvenile hall schools,”\u00a0said Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo.<\/strong>\u00a0“For the past year, we have cooperated closely with DOJ officials. The findings of their investigation demand that we all do better for the young people in our care. We welcome the opportunity to strengthen systems of collaboration and accountability so we can more effectively deliver the high-quality services our youth deserve.”<\/p>\n

In October of 2018, DOJ launched an investigation to determine whether conditions of confinement for youth at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall and Central Juvenile Hall were in compliance with state and federal laws. As part of the investigation, the Attorney General\u2019s Office conducted multiple site visits, interviewed more than 80 witnesses, and reviewed thousands of pages of documents. Ultimately, as alleged in the complaint, DOJ found that the County provided insufficient services and endangered youth safety, including, among other things, by relying on excessive and inappropriate physical and chemical use of force. The investigation into the juvenile halls focused on use-of-force policies and incidents; room and solitary confinement policies and practices; the provision of rehabilitative programming, recreation, religious services, education, and medical and mental healthcare; access to and adequacy of grievance procedures; and staff training.<\/p>\n

To address the investigation\u2019s findings, DOJ and County authorities worked cooperatively to establish extensive four-year plans that provide for a number of corrective actions, which include:<\/p>\n