juvenile hall

By Jeremy Loudenback

LA County Supervisors voted unanimously to work toward ending the incarceration of girls, part of a national effort that's gaining momentum.

As California's youth prisons close, each of the state's counties have submitted plans to house and rehabilitate youth closer to home.

Los Angeles County has averted the closure of its two juvenile halls, but must address new problems that surfaced in a recent inspection.

The California Board of State and Community Corrections is giving Los Angeles County 10 weeks to improve conditions at its two juvenile halls. By Jeremy Loudenback

With the pandemic pounding government coffers and growing national protests over policing in communities of color, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday that it will reduce the size of its soon-to-be constructed juvenile hall.

Under legislation moving through the California Senate, teenagers who turn 18 and would otherwise be moved to adult jails could remain in juvenile facilities – a shift described as a protective measure against the deadly spread of coronavirus.

A scenario feared by parents and advocates for months came true Thursday, when two teenagers incarcerated in Los Angeles County juvenile halls were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus, just days after testing began for all new arrivals, officials said. 

Late last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that California was granting early release to 3,500 people in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus virus and protect corrections staff.