Pepper spray utilization and violence skyrocketed at Los Angeles County’s second largest juvenile facility final yr after dozens of youth have been shifted there from the beleaguered Los Padrinos Juvenile Corridor, newly launched figures from the county Probation Division present.
The switch of about 55 youths to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Corridor in Sylmar from July by means of September led to a 150% spike in the usage of oleoresin capsicum spray, or pepper spray, and a 23% improve in general violent incidents, in accordance with a comparability of knowledge from the primary and second halves of 2025.
County officers carried out the strikes underneath a court-approved “depopulation plan” designed to reduce the variety of youths at Los Padrinos, positioned in Downey, by redirecting among the juveniles elsewhere. Boys going through probably the most severe of prices have been relocated to Nidorf, whereas women and gender-expansive youth went to a reworked Campus Kilpatrick within the Santa Monica Mountains.
An inflow of latest juveniles amid a tougher-on-crime flip in California seemingly negated these decreases, leaving Los Padrinos nicely above the depopulation plan’s objective of 175 youths.
Critics argue the violence and staffing shortages which have lengthy plagued Los Padrinos have unfold and are actually destabilizing different amenities.
“All we’re doing is enjoying musical amenities,” stated Milinda Kakani, government director of the California Youth Justice Mission and a member of the county Probation Oversight Fee. “We’re not doing something to handle the underlying concern, which is that there are very severe cracks within the basis of this establishment that we’re by no means going to have the ability to repair except we launch the strain — and that’s by determining easy methods to decarcerate, not depopulate, a single facility by growing the inhabitants at one other.”
The oversight fee just lately discovered the variety of youths detained by L.A. County Probation in its juvenile halls, camps and different amenities elevated from 558 in Could — when the depopulation plan was accredited — to 589 as of Dec. 31, in accordance with the fee’s report.
“Whereas the implementation of the Depopulation Technique resulted in some youth transferring to different amenities, it has not resulted in a significant discount within the inhabitants at LPJH or the general inhabitants of detained youth,” the report states. “Indicators equivalent to elevated OC spray utilization at Barry J. Nidorf counsel that inhabitants transfers could have displaced, relatively than alleviated, operational and security challenges from LPJH to the receiving amenities.”
Pepper spray ban
The county initially deliberate to cease utilizing pepper spray when it reopened Los Padrinos in July 2023, however it was rapidly reinstated following an escape try throughout the first two weeks.
Vicky Waters, the spokesperson for the Probation Division, stated the incidents at Nidorf have been “not a part of a sustained or growing development and don’t replicate present situations.”
“A number of OC spray incidents occurred early within the transition interval, when youth have been adjusting to new amenities, routines and peer dynamics,” Waters stated.
Pepper spray is used solely when there may be an instantaneous danger of hurt, and every use is reviewed to make sure compliance with coaching and coverage, Waters stated. Deescalation is the division’s most well-liked response to battle and the “overwhelming majority of incidents are resolved with none use of power,” she added.
Throughout one incident, a instructor was attacked by three youths in November. That very same month, a court-appointed watchdog famous the uptick in violence throughout the facility throughout courtroom testimony and detailed cases of youth being compelled to urinate in luggage, plastic gloves and the corners of their rooms as a result of there are usually not sufficient officers to take them to a restroom at night time.
Critiques performed by the L.A. County Workplace of Inspector Normal within the latter half of the yr described fights the place as many as 5 youths ganged up on one particular person at Nidorf. Officers have been discovered of compliance with division coverage in a number of cases as a result of they did not get youth well timed medical remedy, or decontamination, however just one violation throughout that interval concerned the improper use of pepper spray.
In that case, officers did not hold two youths separated after a struggle and ended up utilizing pepper spray when a second brawl broke out. One of many youths had restrictions as a result of a incapacity, medical or psychological well being concern that ought to have prohibited officers from utilizing the chemical irritant on him.
After three months of highs, pepper spray use and violent incidents sharply decreased on the finish of the yr. Each figures peaked in September, the month the most important quantity of transfers occurred. By December, the 2 classes had declined by about 70% and 36%, respectively.
Pepper spray was used solely in about 3% of the incidents that month, Waters stated.
“Most significantly, we stay targeted on decreasing the usage of power general by means of expanded coaching, trauma-informed practices and behavior-based interventions,” Waters stated.
Regardless of the drop, December’s numbers remained above the six-month common previous to the rise in inhabitants.
Transfers created instability
It’s troublesome to say whether or not that may proceed. One veteran probation officer at Nidorf, who spoke on the situation of anonymity, stated conduct tends to enhance throughout these months typically as youth don’t need to lose entry to vacation visits with household.
The officer attributed the spike in violence in September to the velocity at which the strikes occurred and to the overall instability that comes at any time when a big group of latest youth come right into a facility. The primary transfers went easily, the officer stated, however as extra confirmed up, the restricted employees at Nidorf struggled to separate teams which may conflict.
“The chief tried to area it out, however he’s up in opposition to a deadline to get that quantity of younger individuals out of Los Padrinos and into these completely different areas,” the officer stated. “We don’t have that many officers to oversee this inhabitants.”
“Gang politics” elevated volatility as transferred youth from completely different neighborhoods fought to ascertain pecking orders within the models or singled out these with out affiliations, the officer stated.
“We take care of a inhabitants that has abandonment and attachment points,” the officer stated. “Once they get into a brand new area, it may be a set off. They’ll act out as a result of they’ve been uprooted into this new area. They have been snug, they have been used to sure individuals, used to a every day routine and now you place them in a brand new area and all of that has modified and so they have to regulate.”
Circumstances not surprising
In an announcement, Eddie Chism, president of the L.A. County Deputy Probation Officers Union, stated the situations at Barry J. Nidorf weren’t surprising because the division has did not resolve essential staffing shortages. The division continues to be counting on conventional probation officers redeployed from area duties with out “specialised coaching or expertise working with youth.”
“When youth are moved by the Division into new amenities with out sufficient preparation, consistency or enough numbers of educated, everlasting employees, instability will increase,” Chism acknowledged. “The rise in the usage of OC spray displays that actuality. It’s not indicative of officers utilizing power unnecessarily, however relatively of officers responding to elevated ranges of acting-out conduct and violence in environments which can be understaffed and under-resourced.”
Brief-term fluctuations in violence, such because the drop in December, don’t replicate a sustained enchancment in security, Chism stated.
“Till amenities are correctly staffed with educated juvenile probation officers and youth are positioned in secure, appropriately supported settings, these situations will proceed,” Chism acknowledged.
Reggie Torres, president of the Supervising Deputy Probation Officers Affiliation, agreed. He stated Barry J. Nidorf is now “seeing a number of gangs co-housed in amenities that weren’t designed or staffed for that actuality.”
“The Division is making an attempt to function with a 28% emptiness price and a mean time to rent of 432 days,” Torres stated. “That’s not sustainable for officers and it’s harmful for the youth.”
Nidorf’s two amenities
Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Corridor, regardless of the title, is technically two amenities. Half is a Safe Youth Therapy Facility that homes youths sentenced by a choose in circumstances involving probably the most severe of crimes. That inhabitants was once managed by the state till the dissolution of the Division of Juvenile Justice in 2023.
The opposite half is now — as soon as once more — a standard juvenile corridor housing “predisposition” youths, which means juveniles who’ve been accused of a criminal offense however whose circumstances haven’t been resolved.
All the predisposition youths despatched to Nidorf have been chosen as a result of the division believes they’re prone to find yourself within the Safe Youth Therapy Facility.
The juvenile corridor portion was reopened in defiance of state legislation. The Board of State and Neighborhood Corrections ordered the closure of Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Corridor in Could 2023 and declared it “unsuitable” for the confinement of youths. Such a designation requires a facility to make enhancements, or empty out.
The county selected to shut Nidorf and all of its youths have been moved to Los Padrinos that very same yr. However Los Padrinos later was declared “unsuitable” as nicely and, amid a authorized battle over its continued operation, L.A. County reopened Nidorf’s juvenile corridor with out the BSCC’s approval.
Failed inspections
Inspectors from the BSCC went into the juvenile corridor and the SYTF in December and located each out of compliance with the state’s minimal requirements for operation. Campus Kilpatrick, which now homes the entire women within the county’s custody, failed inspections in each November and December.
Inspectors at Nidorf Juvenile Corridor discovered that the Probation Division had opened two “unplanned” models that weren’t factored into its staffing plan, straining its sources and “contributing to ongoing failure to satisfy minimal requirements.”
The juvenile corridor doesn’t have emergency plans for fires or different disasters. It additionally continues to say that it affords youth actions that video footage revealed didn’t truly happen. The Probation Division was beforehand chastised for this actual concern at Los Padrinos in July 2024.
“Youth spent a lot of the day in passive recreation equivalent to tv and video video games, and lots of models lacked books, video games or different significant actions,” inspectors wrote in a letter to county officers in January.
Supervisors weigh in
In November, county Supervisor Kathryn Barger tore into the division after she personally witnessed youths sitting round with nothing to do and Probation Division leaders pledged to make enhancements on the time. That also had not occurred in December, in accordance with the BSCC.
In an announcement, Barger described the BSCC’s findings as “regarding” and stated she expects the division to handle all areas of noncompliance with security and stability because the precedence.
Barger, nevertheless, stated it’s too early to find out whether or not the depopulation plan is profitable.
“Stability is crucial to rehabilitation, and frequent motion can disrupt providers and contribute to behavioral challenges,” she stated. “I’m intently monitoring tendencies over time, together with use-of-force incidents, youth-on-youth violence, service continuity, staffing, and compliance with state requirements.”
Supervisor Janice Hahn disagreed.
“I proceed to consider that there are various younger individuals who can and ought to be safely launched again residence, monitored with ankle displays, or cared for in community-based placements,” Hahn acknowledged. “Shuffling youth from one facility to a different isn’t a method I help and it’s not fixing the disaster as a result of we nonetheless have such severe staffing challenges.”
The BSCC is scheduled to satisfy for the primary time this yr on Feb. 12 and L.A. County is anticipated to be on the agenda for not less than one among its amenities.
State considers lawsuit
Jana Sanford-Miller, the company’s spokesperson, stated the state of affairs at Nidorf Juvenile Corridor is exclusive and the company, granted the ability to provoke lawsuits by the legislature late final yr, is “contemplating all steps accessible to them right now.”
“Because the board decided the power unsuitable in 2023, youth mustn’t have been moved to the power till the situations that had rendered the power unsuitable had been remedied,” she stated. “Nonetheless, that didn’t happen.”
The inspection confirmed that “most of the points recognized in 2023” remained, she stated.
For now although, the BSCC is giving the county till March to supply three completely different Corrective Motion Plans to handle the deficiencies discovered at Nidorf’s Juvenile Corridor, the Safe Youth Therapy Facility and Kilpatrick. The county has not requested for a reinspection of Los Padrinos and that facility, too, stays “unsuitable.”
Kakani, the oversight commissioner, stated the Board of Supervisors and the 2 judges overseeing authorized challenges in opposition to L.A. County ought to maintain the Probation Division accountable for persevering with to fail inspections and for the ineffectiveness of the depopulation plan. Till actual reforms happen, youth contained in the amenities will proceed to expertise new trauma from violence, from the heavy use of OC spray and from the restricted “entry to contemporary air regularly,” Kakani stated.
“Any one among us may stroll inside (Los Padrinos) and inform you a extra tragic story than what has been elicited over the course of many (courtroom) hearings with displays who allegedly spent many days inside these amenities,” Kakani stated. “We’re shedding sight of the prize, the prize being extra meaningfully and thoughtfully caring for our younger individuals, who most likely the necessity probably the most help and love and care.
“It simply feels so tragic,” she stated.
