Further Action Asked to Ease Juvenile Hall Overcrowding

The county has taken steps to relieve overcrowding at Juvenile Hall, but the problem continued through 1987 and has increased in 1988, and additional action should be taken, according to a report to the county Board of Supervisors.

Last year, Juvenile Hall was overcrowded 42% of the time.

Part of Juvenile Hall will be demolished later this year to make way for a new wing. To keep the overcrowding at manageable levels, the report proposes expanding the Los Pinos Forestry Camp for juvenile offenders and possibly establishing a regional center for offenders who are emotionally disturbed.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to act next week on the report’s recommendations.

The report was prepared by the county administrator’s office and the Probation Department. It shows that in 1987, despite the addition of beds at alternate sites and despite a house-arrest program that kept 134 youngsters out of custody, Juvenile Hall was overcrowded on 153 days.

Between Jan. 1 and March 22 this year, the facility was overcrowded 45 days, or 55% of the time, according to the report. At one time, there were 384 youths at the facility, which has 344 beds. On Thursday, Juvenile Hall was 25 youngsters over its designated capacity, said Ed Clarke, the county’s chief deputy probation officer for juvenile institutions.

“Without these alternative programs, we would have a major problem,” Clarke said. “As it is, we are able to manage.”

If the Board of Supervisors approves, the expansion of the Los Pinos camp would occur this year and give the Probation Department 32 more beds, Clarke said. But that move will add only two beds to the system overall, he said, because 30 beds at Juvenile Hall will be lost when part of the facility and the former Albert Sitton Home nearby are demolished to make way for a new Juvenile Justice Center.

The 30 beds lost at Juvenile Hall eventually will be replaced by 60, Clarke said, but construction won’t be complete until 1991. Eighteen beds at the old Sitton Home that were used by the Probation Department also will be lost in the demolition, he said, but a new site already is being sought for them.