Today, California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) staff recommended that the BSCC defer action on the Los Angeles County Juvenile Halls to a future board meeting. This is based upon the County having proactively moved to make improvements to both facilities, filed a supplemental plan, and hired new key personnel. Click here to read staff report.
Based upon this information, the BSCC staff recommends that its Board should take additional time to evaluate whether the County has failed to resolve the noncompliance issues. Their recommendation is to schedule a mid-May BSCC meeting to continue to review this matter. The staff report also expressly identifies and notes that potential closure of the halls may not include closure of the SYTF component. So, for now, the potential closure of Sylmar and Central is likely postponed (unless the BSCC board rejects the staff’s recommendation.
In a separate action, today California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a motion to “enforce specific provisions of the 2021 stipulated judgment requiring Los Angeles County to remedy illegal and unsafe conditions of confinement at its two juvenile halls.” Click here to read AG Bonta’s press release.
Background
The California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) notified the Probation Department in January that both Barry J. Nidorf and Central Juvenile Halls were in violation of State Regulations and were in jeopardy of being closed. The Department provided a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) on March 14 to the BSCC, but on March 23 and 27, the BSCC notified the Department that its CAP was not sufficient to prevent the closure of both halls. The BSCC provided the Department until April 3 to submit further plans and on April 3, the Department filed an Amended CAP. The BSCC is set to hold a Suitability hearing on April 13 to determine if the Department’s plans are sufficient to prevent closure of the halls.
Today’s staff report continues to identify that the most significant issue is the critical staffing issues in the halls, and we know that this is something that the Board of Supervisors has caused over a period of years. The Department’s emergency involuntary reassignment is a part of its CAP plans and is central to shoring up the staffing issues. The Department likely will continue to violate the Employee Relations rules to avoid the BSCC closing the halls. We continue our opposition to any violation of the rules and the Department’s unilateral actions, and we will continue fighting to stop these violations.
As we fight the County and Department, we will continue to make sure Local 685 members get the most accurate information possible about Department actions so you are working off the best possible information.
Reminder: We begin formal Mediation under Impasse on April 20-21 and are we are demanding that the Department Cease and Desist from its unilaterally imposed actions. We will keep you informed as we obtain further information and as matters continue to develop.
In solidarity,
Local 685 Executive Board
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