By Jeremy Loudenback, The Chronicle of Social Change, October 4, 2019
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a civilian oversight body for the the county’s Probation Department that can make unannounced visits and legally compel documents and witnesses.
In recent years, the county’s Probation Department has been under fire for conditions at juvenile detention facilities overseen by the department. The department has struggled with reports of excessive use of force and widespread use of pepper spray, which the board banned the use of earlier this year. The department has also faced a substantiated allegation regarding the sexual assault of a youth at an L.A. County juvenile detention facility, and criminal charges for several probation officers for incidents that occurred at a juvenile hall.
“The lack of a sense of safety is problematic anyway you look at it,” said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas at a meeting of the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “The reform of the Los Angeles County Probation Department has never been more pressing. The challenges faced are powerful and they are a reminder that the progress is limited without strong structural accountability.”
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