Los Angeles County Ordered to Relocate Youth from Barry J. Nidorf and Central Juvenile Halls
Los Angeles, CA – The state regulatory board has declared Barry J. Nidorf and Central juvenile halls in Los Angeles County unsuitable for housing pre-disposition youth. As a result, the county has been directed to relocate the detainees from these facilities within 60 days. Board members criticized the county’s “aggressive” plans for reforming its juvenile detention system, deeming them insufficient and too late.
County representatives appealed for a 150-day delay in the board’s action, highlighting ongoing efforts to relocate pre-disposition youth detainees to the previously closed Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. They expressed concerns that accomplishing the relocation within 60 days could lead to “chaos” and compromise safety. It remains unclear whether the county will explore temporary alternative housing options for some of the youth affected.
Currently, approximately 275 pre-disposition youth, who are awaiting resolution of their criminal cases, are housed in Nidorf and Central halls. The order will not impact post-disposition youth residing in the Secure Youth Treatment Facility within Nidorf Hall in Sylmar.
Read More: State Board Declares LA County Juvenile Halls Unsuitable to Detain Youth
Central Juvenile Hall is located in Lincoln Heights.
This is not the first time that the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) has deemed the two juvenile halls unsuitable for housing youths. Despite earlier findings in 2021, the facilities managed to remain operational. However, subsequent inspection failures prompted the board to initiate the process of declaring them unsuitable once again.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has been grappling with the challenges of reforming the troubled juvenile justice system, particularly as the county takes on the responsibility of youth transfers from the state’s closing Juvenile Justice facilities.
