Probation Offices Remain Open Amid Probation Officer Reassignment to Juvenile Halls

LOS ANGELES — All Los Angeles County Probation Department field offices remain open despite the ongoing reassignment of probation officers to support juvenile detention services at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall.

“Supervisors are on-site and available to ensure client and supervision services are provided as needed,” said Deputy Chief Kimberly Epps.

All Probation Office locations can be found at probation.lacounty.gov/locations.

To address staffing needs, the Probation Department has implemented the following emergency staffing changes:

• Deputy probation officers assigned to field operations will be reassigned to Barry J. Nidorf or Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 60-day increments.
• Staff will be reassigned in groups of 50, at a minimum, to Barry J. Nidorf and 200, at a minimum to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
• Reassigned staff will attend all necessary and required trainings specific to juvenile best practices prior to their deployment.

In addition, the department has reassigned sworn managers to both facilities as follows:

• Directors and assistant directors will be reassigned to Barry J. Nidorf and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall for a period of 60 days to provide direct support on every living unit, on every shift, every day, to assist with BSCC Title 15 compliance, facility operations and support staff assigned to the living units.
• Managers will attend all necessary and required training prior to reassignment.

Like law enforcement agencies nationwide, the Los Angeles County Probation Department is experiencing a decline in those who want to be probation officers and an acceleration in those retiring early or resigning.

The department is looking at how to increase staffing levels and imploring innovative strategies and best practices to aid us in reducing call outs and increasing staffing levels in juvenile halls.