Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall is a temporary detention facility for youth in the juvenile justice system. It provides a secure and structured environment while young people await court hearings or placement in rehabilitation programs. Operated by the Los Angeles County Probation Department, the facility offers education, counseling, and life skills programs aimed at rehabilitation rather than punishment.
About Los Padrinos
Purpose & Operations
Los Padrinos serves as a temporary holding facility rather than a long-term correctional center.
It ensures that detained youth:
- Remain in custody only as necessary for public safety.
- Have access to education, rehabilitation, and structured activities.
- Are supervised by probation officers under county regulations.
Detention Process & Court Proceedings
Once detained, youth must appear before a judge to determine if continued custody is required.
The court considers:
- Severity of the offense and criminal history.
- Risk to the community and rehabilitation needs.
- Alternative placement options like probation or community programs.
Average Stay Duration: 7 to 23 days, but each case varies based on legal proceedings.
LOS PADRINOS HISTORY
1957: Los Padrinos opens with 10 living units of 20 beds each to house minors from the Southwest area of Los Angeles County and relieve overcrowding at Central Juvenile Hall.
1963: A girls’ division is opened.
1975: A two-story, 80-bed facility is constructed for additional housing, as well as for a family treatment program and intensive care unit.
1976: A new building houses three juvenile court departments and a Probation administrative wing.
2004: Two old living units are torn down and replaced with two 120-bed buildings for housing. Additional construction adds a mental health clinic, a parking garage, five guard shacks and a generator facility.
2019: The County Board of Supervisors closes Los Padrinos because of a declining juvenile hall population.
May 2, 2023: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approves a plan to reopen Los Padrinos and move all pre-disposition youth operations there from Central and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Halls.
June 2023: County construction crews complete work for immediate occupancy. Work includes repainting, repairing, and upgrading several living units with new plumbing, security cameras, bathroom privacy screens, windows, and updating kitchen facilities.1
July 18, 2023: The Probation Department completed its relocation of pre-disposition youth from its Barry J. Nidorf facility into Los Padrinos Juvenile halls.