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The Youth Justice Education Clinic (YJEC) and the Juvenile Justice Clinic (JJC) at LMU Loyola Law School, in collaboration with advocacy groups Los Angeles Youth Uprising Coalition, Liberation Fund, and Zero Now, have signed a joint letter demanding the immediate release of all youth incarcerated at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, California. The action comes in response to allegations of ongoing safety and legal violations at the facility.
Over the past three years, Los Angeles County Probation has repeatedly failed to meet state-mandated standards for its youth detention centers, the groups argue in their letter. In October 2024, the California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) deemed Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall unsafe, highlighting serious concerns about the wellbeing of incarcerated youth. Despite this finding, youth continue to be ordered to Los Padrinos, exacerbating their exposure to harm.
“The conditions at Los Padrinos are unacceptable and illegal,” said Roshell Amezcua ’14, director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic, during public comment at the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Committee hearing on Dec. 12, 2024.
“What makes Probation believe it is above the law?” Amezcua asked. “The youth in Los Padrinos have no protection from a powerful agency that operates outside of the law. Our youth at Los Padrinos experience harm and trauma that I have witnessed firsthand as a defense attorney representing youth, and it takes time and care and love to heal from that trauma. I've seen their literal blood, and it is on your hands and on the hands of all of us who do nothing in the face of a department who defies the law.”
The joint letter uplifts evidence-based recommendations to prioritize rehabilitation and care over punitive measures. YJEC and JJC are urging Los Angeles County to act swiftly to release the youth detained at Los Padrinos and to implement long-term solutions that prevent further harm. As of January 2025, Los Padrinos remains open after a judge delayed the shutdown decision, with an Order to Show Cause hearing scheduled for Jan. 31, 2025.
Adding to their advocacy efforts, the Juvenile Justice Clinic co-authored a amicus brief filed by the ACLU in connection with the hearing to address Probation’s arguments against the closure of Los Padrinos.
YJEC has been advocating for the youth detained at Los Padrinos for years. In March 2020, YJEC created the Education Justice Coalition (EJC) and wrote a letter to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors demanding that they release youth and provide quality education to those who had to remain detained. Interim director of the Youth Justice Education Clinic, Vivian Wong, also spoke at the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Committee on December 12, sharing her experience as an education attorney representing juveniles.
“It is shameful that we continue to detain young people when the county knows that Los Padrinos is unsuitable,” Wong said. “Recently, I met with my detained client who asked me what was going to happen to him; - he’s been reading the news and following this chaos. He is afraid. He is anxious. He is one of many who feel this way.”
Advocates argue that the unsafe conditions at Los Padrinos are part of a larger systemic issue within the county’s juvenile justice system. The call for action follows a wave of public criticism aimed at Los Angeles County’s handling of youth detention facilities.
YJEC (as part of EJC) will be releasing a report in the coming months documenting historical/systemic issues and coalition efforts to hold the county accountable.
For more information on this developing story, visit the Center for Juvenile Law and Policy website.
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