County Supervisors, Legislators Call for Aid to Probation Camps
Members of Los Angeles County’s legislative delegation and the Board of Supervisors agreed Friday to develop a joint strategy to keep open the county’s financially strapped probation camps for young offenders.
The county needs $60 million to save the 19 camps, which house youths convicted of a variety of crimes, mostly felonies. The camps are financed from the General Fund.
Officials have said that without state help the camps will be closed by May 1. Most youths would be transferred to California Youth Authority facilities or released from custody.
Despite pleas from county supervisors and others, officials with the state Department of Social Services and other agencies have been reluctant to commit to funding the camps.
“It’s unfortunate that bureaucrats in this state seem to be ignoring the bipartisan support for the camps,” Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman (D-Brentwood) said Friday during an emergency meeting of the Board of Supervisors held to discuss the issue.
Also attending the meeting were Assemblywoman Barbara Friedman (D-Los Angeles) and state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles). Representatives of five other Assembly and state Senate offices also attended.
The legislators and supervisors agreed to draft a letter calling for support for the camps.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
