All Los Angeles County Probation Department field offices remain open despite the ongoing reassignment of Probation Officers to support juvenile detention services at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall.
“Supervisors are on-site and available to ensure client and supervision services are provided as needed,” said Deputy Chief Kimberly Epps.
Staff are concerned why this information wasn’t put out by Probation Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa.
To address staffing needs, the Probation Department says they have implemented the following emergency staffing changes:
- Deputy Probation Officers assigned to field operations will be reassigned to Barry J. Nidorf or Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in 60-day increments.
- Staff will be reassigned in groups of 50, at a minimum, to Barry J. Nidorf and 200, at a minimum to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
- Reassigned staff will attend all necessary and required trainings specific to juvenile best practices prior to their deployment.
In addition, the Department has reassigned sworn managers to both facilities as follows:
- Directors and Assistant Directors will be reassigned to Barry J. Nidorf and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall for a period of 60 days to provide direct support on every living unit, on every shift, every day, to assist with BSCC Title 15 compliance, facility operations and support staff assigned to the living units.
- Managers will attend all necessary and required training prior to reassignment.
According to Epps, “like law enforcement agencies nationwide, the Los Angeles County Probation Department is experiencing a decline in those who want to be probation officers and an acceleration in those retiring early or resigning.”
Those in the department reject this statement saying “there is a difference between being a probation officer and a detention services officer whose primary duties are to staff the halls”.
“Probation officers are retiring because of being mandated to do the job of probation officer AND detention services officer, simultaneously, and at times when they are on doctor approved light duty,” said a probation officer that requested anonymity.
“Field probation officers are being mandated to the halls and that is not our primary duty but due to changes in our contract the chief has the ability to call an emergency and put us back in the halls even at the detriment of our own health.”
On March 15, the department rescinded the deployment mandate for staff with restrictions and/or on light duty, although many are being sent home at the expense of using their own time.
“I was sent home without pay and I have medical restrictions. I don’t know how I will pay my mortgage come April,” said another probation officer who declined to be identified.
The department is constantly looking at how to increase staffing levels and imploring innovative strategies and best practices to aid us in reducing call outs and increasing staffing levels in our juvenile halls.
To learn more about a career with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, please visit probation.lacounty.gov/careers.
*Editor’s note: Probation officers have shared with 2UrbanGirls that although probation offices are open, there are less than 5 staff members on-site to assist those who come in for service.
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