Overcrowding Causes Delays at Los Angeles Juvenile Detention Facility

Los Angeles, CA – Law enforcement officers found themselves in a frustrating situation earlier this week due to overcrowding at the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, Los Angeles. Sources indicate that officers had to wait for extended periods in the parking lot with young suspects in the back seats of their cruisers. This incident occurred months after a previous riot at the same facility.

The Los Angeles County Probation Department, responsible for the facility, confirmed the delays but denied any refusal to accept new arrestees. A probation department spokesperson clarified, “Los Padrinos intake was never closed. On Tuesday, law enforcement may have experienced an extended wait period, primarily because our intake tank was full. We notified law enforcement about the expected longer wait time, but no one was turned away.”

Probation officials had warned the courts that Los Padrinos had reached its capacity, but the situation escalated on Tuesday. According to three law enforcement sources, the issue began around 6 a.m. when an LAPD officer arrived with an armed robbery suspect. At its peak, six squad cars were lined up, waiting to drop off their arrestees around 5 p.m.

“They can’t be detained for nine hours sitting in a parking lot, but at the same time, they can’t be released,” one source expressed. “It’s a very outrageous situation that we’re in, in LA County.”

Although the issue seemed to be resolved the following day, the exact measures taken to alleviate the overcrowding remained unclear.

This overcrowding predicament coincides with Los Angeles’ shift away from prosecuting juveniles for minor offenses, favoring diversionary programs instead. Consequently, the overcrowding primarily affects young suspects facing serious charges, particularly violent crimes.

“We’re seeing more and more cases with kids with multiple arrests for guns, robberies, more serious offenses up to murder,” one source explained. “We want to show them that there’s a consequence to your actions so that they learn, but how do you do that?”

The circumstances surrounding the overcrowding issue may lend support to the theory of “broken windows policing,” which suggests that aggressively prosecuting minor offenses can reduce more serious crimes.

Under California law, the probation department is required to accept arrestees and bring them before a magistrate within 48 hours. Failure to meet this deadline in a juvenile case leads to the defendant’s release for the duration of their court case.

In addition to Tuesday’s problems, the Los Padrinos facility has faced challenges, including a summer riot, a teen’s escape and recapture, and the recent death of a colleague, Officer Stanley Guyness, who collapsed on the job last week.

This situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement and the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles County.