Youth Authority Abuse Investigation

Re “Guards at Youth Prison Accused of Abusing Inmates,” Sept. 26: As a public defender assigned to Eastlake Juvenile Court, I was not surprised by the revelations of abusive conduct at the California youth facility in Chino. Nor was I relieved. The “abusive conduct” taking place within the juvenile system begins in the courts themselves and extends far beyond the California Youth Authority. What many fail to realize is that the abuses that appear so commonplace at detention facilities throughout California are not only the problem, they are also the consequence.

Judges, who make all legal, factual and sentencing decisions in juvenile court, are too often more concerned with expediency, politics and appearing tough on crime than they are with fairness and justice. With children and teenagers, innocence should not only be presumed, it should also be protected and preserved. However, this is not what is happening. Reasonable doubt? Most minors don’t even get the benefit of the doubt. Judges are more likely to incarcerate and warehouse a minor than run the risk of releasing someone who will violate probation or re-offend. They will sooner stigmatize and brand an innocent child with a criminal record than run the risk of dismissing the case of one who is guilty. The prevailing school of thought is that it can never hurt to bring someone into the system. Unfortunately, we have now learned that it can.

MIKE CAVALLUZZI

Deputy Public Defender

Los Angeles

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The governor’s order that all ward grievances must be investigated is redundant. Five years ago I was tripped by a ward, broke my arm in two places and have permanent damage as a result. Youth Authority officials were so busy dealing with ward grievances that it took almost three months for them to get around to investigating what happened to this teacher.

MARY ANNE VINCENT

Corona

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I have a hard time feeling sorry for a bunch of criminals, gangbangers, thieves and murderers and the problems they are experiencing in prison. If I thought just for one moment that prison was going to be tough, I guess I wouldn’t commit a crime, now would I? I suppose these young thugs have never heard the expression that “what comes around goes around.”

N. EDWARD BELLAMY

Cardiff