On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to consider establishing an independent entity to create a “roadmap” for implementing long-awaited reforms within the LA County Probation Department.
The motion, introduced by Supervisors Mark Ridley-Thomas and Janice Hahn, calls for an analysis on expanding the purpose and increasing the power of the existing Probation Commission to get the job done, otherwise the board will look into creating a new, independent “taskforce” composed of a diverse group that would include individuals with a “deep knowledge” of the “probation department, juvenile justice policy, and criminal justice reform efforts targeting adult populations.
An amendment from Supervisor Sheila Kuehl will also have the board look into having the Office of Inspector General—which oversees the LA County Sheriff’s Department—provide oversight of probation.
“We need a singular vision and a comprehensive approach that will leave no stone unturned in addressing, once and for all, the deeply entrenched and systemic problems plaguing the nation’s largest probation department,” Ridley-Thomas said.
The department has long struggled with mismanagement of state funds meant to improve outcomes for kids at risk of involvement in the county’s juvenile justice system and those held in probation camps, as well as an increase in use-of-force incidents in camps, and alleged abuse of locked up kids by probation staff, among other problems.
During a recent visit to Central Juvenile Hall, three probation commissioners found that four kids had been kept in solitary conditions for four days. And, according to one of the commissioners, it didn’t appear to be “the first time” kids were placed in prolonged isolation more than a year after the board of supervisors voted to prohibit the use of solitary for kids in the county’s juvenile halls and camps, except in circumstances in which the safety of kids or staff are at risk. Even in those safety-related circumstances, the board set strict limits to how long kids could be isolated.
Jo Kaplan, a member of the Probation Commission, mentioned the solitary story, which WitnessLA broke, saying that the last time she testified before the board was in May when it approved the ban on isolating juveniles.
“I think that is emblematic of why this motion is so important today,” Kaplan said. “I plead with you–I urge you–to pass it.”
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas and several other speakers brought up Probation’s isolation problem.
The probation department has been “peppered with a series of challenges over the past several years, most recently, the article that came forward about the work that was done on this board on solitary confinement, and the range of problems that still persists there,” Ridley-Thomas said. “It is clear that work must be done. It can be done collaboratively. It can be done effectively.”
Drug Policy Alliance’s Eunisses Hernandez said the “lack of implementations of policy reforms and accountability have led to incidents like the several young people reportedly kept in solitary conditions for days at the Central Juvenile Hall.” Hernandez also pointed to a 2013 incident that left a 15-year-old paralyzed and unable to speak. Last month, the Supes approved a $3.9 million settlement in the case.
In recent years, a wealth of recommendations for improving conditions for youth and adults under its care have been presented to the probation department. The Auditor-Controller has performed sixteen audits of the probation department in the last three years.
Still, implementation and follow-through have been inconsistent, according to the motion.
The supervisors appointed new leadership in January to turn the department around—Terri McDonald, who was previously the assistant sheriff in charge of LA County’s jail system, to be Chief of Probation, and Sheila Mitchell, formerly the chief of the Santa Clara Probation Department, to the position of Deputy Chief.
According to the motion, more reports, new leadership, and better infrastructure “will not be enough to transform a department of this size and complexity.”
Once established, the oversight entity would then create a plan for reforming the department, and report back to the supervisors in 60 days.
The board approved a second motion from Hahn and Ridley-Thomas that directs the Chief Probation Officer, along with LA County’s CEO, County Counsel, the Director of Children and Family Services and others to report back to the board in 180 days regarding creating a training program modeled after the Department of Children and Family Services’ “DCFS University.”
Starting in 2013, DCFS created the university to overhaul its training program for new social workers. Through the university, new social workers undergo a 1-year training program that “makes frequent use of simulation labs and experiential learning, with infrequent use of traditional classroom instruction,” according to the motion. “The simulation training specifically focuses on promoting and developing critical thinking, decision making, analysis, and problem-solving skills in a safe and supportive atmosphere.”
The “DCFS University” has, according to the board, been very successful in its mission to improve training and better support new hires.
“Probation staff must wear many hats: they are life coaches, mentors, guidance counselors, disciplinarians, therapists, enforcers, and resource navigators,” the motion states. “Given these many functions, the Department must ensure its employees are provided with robust, state-of-the-art, meaningful training that keeps pace with the needs of the clients they serve.”
The board hopes that the university will also address signs of low morale and employee engagement.
“This is the time to move forward and bring together everybody’s past, present and future wishes and dreams and visions for the kind of Probation Department that LA County warrants, one that will have real accountability and reform as we move forward,” Supervisor Hahn said.
Image: LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas speaks about his motion to coordinate probation reform.
Great news. It’s a start. I feel that the Probation Staff working the facilities should be at the table with regards to planning, suggestions and of course implementation.
Why don’t you report on why those minors were in the hope center in the first place? They were there because they had gotten into to a prison style race riot. Central Juvenile Hall and the line staff do there best with the tools they got. This article is a joke. The finger needs to be pointed at the board of supes for hiring incompetent Chiefs.
It’s amazing how the overview of witnessla casts such an abundance of doubt and maliciousness with the staff of La County Probation. It also very interesting that as stakeholders the numerous outside entities hide in the shadows and behind very deep pockets. Many staff within Probation absorb the turmoil and negative impacts from the communities which were never given a head start.The commission and board must realize that they would feel the challenges of handling a crisis situation if placed in front of combative , mental health, and developmentally disabled minors. The reason there are no driving results is because the commission and board and it’s supporting members at their level cannot define the meaning of Probation. Each article that witnessla has placed has bent the truth or lack their of to insinuate that Probation lacks the core principles to make positive moves in a direction that meets community standards and processes . I ask WitnessLa : “Probation is about ?” Answer it please. It is really ineffective and inefficient to continually watch the attempts to drag Probation into the mud and to the wolves of assumptions which only stimulate confusion amongst the masses. It would be more beneficial to invite your collaboration on the development of a communication model that creates balance for those on both sides. Probation is not about recidivism, violations, programs, Kilpatrick , Solitary Confinement, nor its budget . Probation is about Relationships at its core. Building them , teaching them, nurturing them, and working diligently and professionally to maintain them . There is a greater purpose and good that the public does not see. I hope that the writers and supporters of WitnessLa recognize their role in change and within its relationship with the Probation Department, the partnering agencies , the community , and its Probationers.
Have the staff that actually work the facilities actually participate. WOW! When pigs fly, there’s peace on earth and there’s a unified Korean peninsula.
Wow. The probation department must be getting better at returning the minors to their regular programming in less than 72 hours. They were leaving them in isolation up to 500 hours without reviews or appeals. Minors must go through a review every 24 hours and sent back to court after 72 hours. Mere BS. THERE IS NO REFORM GOING ON WHATSOEVER.