A hug: noun. “A good clasp with the arms; embrace.”
Although this straightforward, but transient human contact is widespread amongst relations, buddies, spouses and lovers, hugs are prohibited for incarcerated youth at two Los Angeles County juvenile halls, particularly Los Padrinos in Downey and Barry J. Nidorf in Sylmar. When anybody pays a go to, no contact is allowed, not even holding arms.
The Hug Act of 2026, launched on Jan. 27 as Meeting Invoice 1646 by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, would take away that prohibition and require all juvenile detention services within the county and throughout the state to make lodging for hugs from guests, so long as the youth in custody approves.
“I went out to Los Padrinos,” started Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose movement to lend county assist to Bryan’s invoice was accredited by the LA County Board of Supervisors on a 5-0 vote on Tuesday, March 3. “Many of those younger males haven’t been capable of embrace their moms for months if not for years.”
The request to have the ability to hug their mothers or dads, brothers or sisters, or different guests whereas incarcerated got here on a want record of enhancements from these contained in the Downey facility and despatched to Hahn on a poster again in 2024.
“Seeing that poster broke my coronary heart,” mentioned Hahn, whose district consists of Downey. Hahn visits the power month-to-month and holds dinners and a visitor speaker collection for the youth.
Later, Bryan got here to Los Padrinos and with the assistance of the juveniles in custody wrote the invoice that might give them the authorized proper to embrace a member of the family or pal throughout in-person visitations.
The invoice was heard Tuesday morning within the California State Meeting Public Security Committee and was handed out of committee.
“Youngsters need to be held, cherished on, and affirmed by their dad and mom. Denying incarcerated kids hugs doesn’t preserve anyone any safer. It’s time for us to recenter rehabilitation and humanity in our juvenile justice system,” mentioned Bryan in a ready assertion.
Bowie, who spoke earlier than the Board, has been launched from Los Padrinos and lives in a step-down facility in Lengthy Seaside. He acquired a hug from Hahn after the vote.
“I helped write it after I was in Los Padrinos,” he mentioned. “Once I was there, me and others wish to see our households and get a hug from our family members however we weren’t allowed.”
Hahn’s movement says research present that acceptable bodily contact between youth and family members typically results in constructive psychological well being outcomes and fewer violent habits.
Emily Zamora, coverage marketing campaign director for Youth Justice Coalition agreed. “Our younger folks deserve, want, above something the suitable to have their households have the ability to give them a hug. The truth that I’ve to say that’s ridiculous.”
As a member of the Probation Oversight Fee, Wendy Julien mentioned The Hug Act aligns with the fee’s findings. “Dad and mom are allies. They need to hug their kids and are positively capable of assist cut back recidivism,” she mentioned.
Nevertheless, county Probation Division head, Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa, advised the board that permitting hugs is just not such a black-and-white situation. The no-contact guidelines are in place to stop contraband, akin to unlawful medication, from passing from the customer to the youth in custody.
Additionally, there could also be some in custody who don’t need to see their dad and mom or guardians nor hug them. And a few could have good motive for avoiding them, as they might be victimized by them, he mentioned. Hahn mentioned if there’s any query, the probation officers ought to ask these in custody and if they are saying no, then no hug ought to happen. The laws permits for hugs, it doesn’t require them.
“What we’ve had is a black-and-white coverage of no hugs. So the folks at Los Padrinos went to Sacramento and located a champion who heard them. And he agreed,” mentioned Hahn.
Whereas Viera Rosa acknowledged the social and psychological advantages of hugs, particularly for youth who nonetheless want their dad and mom or guardians for emotional assist, he additionally mentioned permitting hugs throughout in-person visits would require extra staffing, who might want to preserve their eyes on the bodily change.
Throughout a one-time pilot of permitting hugs from guests on Valentine’s Day, the Probation Division wanted to usher in 20 extra officers to make sure correct oversight, mentioned Deputy Robert Arcos. That is along with drug-detecting canines and airport-like metallic detectors.
If the invoice turns into legislation, the county Probation Division will want extra staffing throughout in-person visits. “It may have an effect of an extra $1 million due to staffing,” he mentioned.
Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who co-sponsored the movement, mentioned with contraband down and scanners and canines in place throughout visitation, that is the suitable time to permit hugs throughout visitations.
“A hug can go a good distance in supporting the well-being and improvement of younger folks in our juvenile justice system, in addition to the households counting the times till their return residence,” mentioned Mitchell. “I’ve heard this firsthand throughout my visits to Los Padrinos, and there are longstanding examples of how a quick, heat embrace could be safely allowed for adults and different younger folks incarcerated all through the state.”
The movement states that contact visits are commonplace practices in lots of California counties, in addition to in correctional services in New York Metropolis, Washington D.C., and Houston.
