Probation agency to face new audit
Los Angeles County supervisors have ordered a farranging audit of the county Probation Department amid debate over how much progress the department has made in improving conditions in its juvenile lockups.
A federal monitoring team recently ended its work, declaring that the department had carried out required reforms in the juvenile camps. But another review by the county auditor-controller found that the department was not fulfilling all the requirements of federal overseers.
The Justice Department began investigating conditions in the county’s 19 probation camps in 2006 after repeated reports of problems and abuse. Two years later, the county agreed to a settlement and series of reforms that included measures to prevent mistreatment of minors and misconduct by probation officers, as well as ensuring the camps were adequately staffed.
Earlier this spring, the federal monitoring team reported that the Probation Department had fully met the conditions of the settlement.
The county auditor-controller’s office has been doing separate reviews to make sure the department remains in compliance.
In a report released this month, the auditors found the department had fallen out of compliance with several federal requirements, primarily having to do with training. Not all staffers at the camps were getting required training on suicide prevention and topics dealing with youths who have mental health issues or developmental disabilities, the auditors reported.
The audit also found that some camps didn’t properly handle rewards intended to manage youths’ behavior, including giving rewards that weren’t earned, which auditors wrote “diminishes the effectiveness of the behavior management program.”
They also found probation camp staff didn’t ensure youths participated in required substance abuse treatment programs and therapy for anger management and behavior issues.
“The way I read the report, it says there is unfinished business of some consequence,” said county Supervisor Mark RidleyThomas, who along with Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich called for the broader examination of the agency’s operations.
The department acknowledged that some of the training had not been completed but disagreed with the majority of the audit findings. Department Chief Jerry Powers said his staff would be meeting with the auditors to discuss differences.
But the audits play a use- ful role, Powers said.
“I see it as further information the department gets, so we know where we need to improve,” he said.
The new audit ordered by the supervisors Tuesday will review recruitment, examination, hiring and promotional practices; vacancies and staffing ratios; operating costs; administration of grant funds; and contract- ing procedures.
The supervisors may separately examine the experience of the young people incarcerated in the camps and outcomes after they leave the facilities.
Michelle Newell, senior policy associate with the Children’s Defense Fund, an advocacy group that has pushed the county to move to a less-punitive model for juvenile justice, credited the Probation Department with making major strides in reducing the number of young people locked up. She also praised the department’s plans to rebuild Camp Vernon Kilpatrick in Malibu to create a small-group model that some experts believe can be more successful in rehabilitating young people.
But she said her group still has concerns about some of the practices in the camps, including the use of solitary confinement.
“We still think we need a complete transformative change to the way our camps operate fundamentally,” she said.