$2 Million for Growth at Juvenile Halls Vowed

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to find $2 million in the county budget to remodel juvenile detention facilities this year to accommodate 157 new beds in an effort to ease overcrowding problems worsened recently by police sweeps and drug crackdowns.

Chief Probation Officer Barry J. Nidorf said that police roundups of gang members and drug-related arrests helped push the peak population at the county’s three juvenile halls last month to 2,006 youngsters, 52% above capacity.

Although the numbers have since eased, Nidorf said, probation authorities were alarmed that juvenile facilities would be swamped with minors especially with the spring months ahead, which traditionally is a period when the population increases.

“We were concerned that the population would grow beyond our capability to handle it,” Nidorf told supervisors.

But Nidorf told board members that as of Tuesday the number of juveniles had been reduced to 1,767 at the three facilities--Central Juvenile in Lincoln Heights, Los Padrinos in Downey and San Fernando Valley in Sylmar.

“It was critical for us to step in quickly before the population got out of hand,” said Nidorf, “and with the cooperation of staff, and the court and law enforcement, the situation is much improved today than it was three weeks ago.”

Nidorf said probation officers reduced the numbers of juvenile inmates by suspending violations of probations, which would return some youngsters to juvenile hall, and shaving detention time from weekend work crews. Home supervision programs have also been increased, Nidorf said, and law enforcement officials have been told to lock up only the most serious cases.

Although the numbers have been reduced, Nidorf said a shortage of beds still forces about 450 youths in juvenile hall to sleep on mattresses on the floor. He told supervisors, however, that the situation has had no ill effects on youngsters housed there.

“All the other services, such as schooling, eating and recreation, are not impacted, and we have a sufficient staff,” he said.

In granting preliminary approval for the 157 new detention beds, which would come from remodeling various parts of each juvenile facility, the board asked Nidorf and Chief Administrative Officer Richard Dixon to find the necessary money. The board also will consider a bond financing plan later that could provide another 480 beds.

Nidorf added that the board has already approved the addition of 420 beds at a juvenile facility at Mira Loma and an additional 290 “suitable placement beds” to be contracted out to the private sector.