The Los Angeles County Probation Department faces another hurdle in its plan to depopulate Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall after state inspectors deemed another youth facility unsuitable. 

The Board of State and Community Corrections deemed the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, the facility that LA County planned to move the Los Padrinos detainees to, unsuitable for youth in May 2023, after state inspectors found the facility to be out of compliance in nine different areas. 

While the staff at Nidorf addressed most of the issues, the BSCC's most recent inspection found that the facility failed to directly observe youth while conducting safety checks, confined detainees to their rooms and employees did not meet training requirements for use of force and chemical agents. 

"It is clear that it would not be appropriate to move additional youth from Los Padrinos to Barry J. Nidorf while the facility is unable to meet minimum standards," said Board Chair Linda Penner. "The ongoing and systemic failures at Los Padrinos and Barry J. Nidorf are unacceptable."

A judge approved LA County Probation's plan to depopulate the facility in May. Authorities planned to move more than 100 youth out of Los Padrinos; however, the population has increased in the past two months. 

When the judge approved the plan in May, Los Padrinos housed 267 youth: 239 boys and 28 girls. As of July 1, the facility houses 276 youth, according to LA County Probation's website. However, officials included a breakdown of youth detainees underneath its current population figures. 

In the breakdown, LA County Probation officials stated that Los Padrinos houses 253 males and 25 females,  

LA County Probation stated that it is working with the Board of State and Community Corrections to approve facilities for the youth detainees. They will return to court in mid-July. 

"We're reviewing the BSCC's letter, and determining our next steps," spokesperson Vicky Waters said. "Our department continues to be committed to the safety of the youth in our care, as well as ensuring we meet the State's standards."

Embroiled in problems for years, a state inspector deemed Los Padrinos "unsuitable" in December 2024 after staff could not stem the flow of drugs, failed to bring the juvenile prisoners to medical appointments and did not prevent retaliation against inmates who filed grievances. At the time, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said LA County "utterly failed" to provide safety to the juvenile hall prisoners.

Months later, he announced charges against 30 correction officers for allegedly enabling "gladiator fights" at the facility. According to Bonta's Office, the charged officers allowed and sometimes encouraged 69 fights at Los Padrinos between July 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023. State prosecutors said 143 kids between the ages of 12 and 18 were beaten during those six months.   

Last week, parademics took six staff members and one youth to local hospitals after a suspected overdose and possible drug exposure at Los Padrinos. The incident happened two days after investigators arrested a nonprofit worker for allegedly smuggling drugs into the facility. Investigators found more than 170 white pills on him, according to LA County Probation.