Jails Committee

window replacements Hollywood Area

inoperative electric gates LAX Substation

inoperative cell doors and sally port Newton Area

emergency lighting North Hollywood Area

improved cleanliness Pacific Area Rampart Area 77th Street Area Youth Camps Southeast Area Southwest Area The youth camps operated by the Probation Valley Jail Section/Van Nuys Department are operated with goals different from the Wilshire Area other jails within the county. Their goal is to steer the wards, through age 19, to a productive law abiding life. Methods of strong structure, education, hard work, Juvenile Institutions Bureau - good food, a program of expectations and rewards Probation Camps which lead to self-esteem are employed. Staff appears Camp Jarvis to be dedicated and enjoying some success. We were Camp McNair told that a study just completed showed that two out of Camp Onizuka three released wards are not arrested again after two Camp Resnik Camp Smith years. The program appears worthwhile. Camp Scobee Camp Scott Letter to Board of Supervisors Camp Scudder Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall Youth Camps are in danger of closing at the end of Routh Senior Fire Camp 1995 due to lack of funding. The following letter was sent to the Board of Supervisors to express the view of the Grand Jury: 55 November 21, 1995 Camp Routh - Special Issue Board of Supervisors In our visit to Camp Routh, we found a special County of Los Angeles Room 383, Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration problem which to bring to the attention of the Board of 500 West Temple Street Supervisors. Camp Routh is a senior youth camp which Los Angeles, California 90012 is dedicated to fire suppression. It houses Re: Los Angeles Times, November 17, 1995, " County May Close approximately 100 wards between the ages of 17 1/2 and Probation Camps" 19. Started in the 1930s for the Civilian Conservation Corps the camp is old. It was then used as a Sheriff's Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors, detention camp and in 1983 became a probation camp. We noted in the referent Los Angeles Times article that the Board of The wards work very hard as firefighters and as fire Supervisors is seriously considering the closure of the eighteen juvenile preventers under the direction of the County Fire probation camps. We wish to register with you our strong opposition to such a move. We feel the closure of these camps is not in the best interest of the Department and the supervision of probation personnel. citizens of Los Angeles County. Their work takes them into the rough mountain terrain surrounding the camp. At night they go to school and As you may know, the Los Angeles County Grand Jury is required by State mandate to inspect all of the jails in our county. The juvenile probation live in comparatively primitive conditions. The camp camps fall within that mandate. We have conducted such inspections at looks run down but it is clean. The results they have some of the camps and have others yet to visit during the 1995-96 session. achieved at the a camp are first class. According to a We recently inspected several including the Challenger Camps in Lancaster which include camps Jarvis, McNair, Onizuka, Senior Boys and Reception. recent study, nine out of ten of the wards that leave Routh are not arrested again within a two-year The Probation Department manages these camps without firearms and in a period. constructive atmosphere which provides for these youths, maybe for the first time in their lives, a positive adult structure, good food and a truly sincere effort to help these boys and girls build self esteem. The staff which we met A program like this needs support. are sincerely dedicated to the task of saving as many of these youths as possible from a life of crime and incarceration. Their low recidivism rate is an indication of some success. They are working for more. During the recent earthquake, the camp dining room and kitchen were damaged. Partly because of the These camps are a special effort by the citizens of Los Angeles County not copied elsewhere in the state to our knowledge. The camps are one of the damage and partly because it is old, the building was red few bright spots in law enforcement in the County where real progress is tagged by the County and could not be entered. With being made. The young people in these camps are in general not suitable for the help of the Fire Department (tents and mobile foster homes and if it were not for the camps most of them would end up at kitchen) the camp remained open. Eventually the the California Youth Authority where their prospects for a productive life would be minimal. kitchen was moved partly into the fire station and a temporary trailer was set up as a dining hall over 100 We, at the Grand Jury, are well aware of the financial crisis that faces our County. We are also aware that the Board of Supervisors have their hands yards from the kitchen. Both the kitchen and the dining full in coping with this crisis. But if there is just a chance of saving the hall are substandard. The dispute between the County, future of some of these children, we must strongly request that the Board of State and federal government continues on who and Supervisors find some way to keep these camps open. We can't hope the State will come through and fund the camps. This is too important an issue how much should be paid for earthquake damage. No to leave up to the whim of the folks in Sacramento. one knows when that will be settled. Meanwhile, the camp limps along in danger of being shut-down due to The Probation Department has proved from their track record that they are on the right track. They are dedicated to these children and we must do the substandard conditions. whatever it takes to keep this important program alive. What better natural resource do we have in Los Angeles County than young people who have This is an opportunity for some charitable been turned into productive citizens and away from a life of crime. person, company, labor union, etc., to step in and Thank you for your attention to this matter. sponsor meaningful help to these boys who are working hard to become good men. The amount of money Very truly yours, Mary Jean Pew, Foreperson needed is around $500,000. We hope the Board of 1995-96 Grand Jury Supervisors would let it be known that Camp Routh John Atkinson, Chairperson needs a new kitchen and dining hall in case anyone Jails Committee 56 wants to help. Of course, this is just one need in a The County Courthouse has no metal detectors, county of many needs. But one good deed is better than just five guards. Two guards are stationed at doors, one on the loading dock and two roaming the halls. Visitors none. may enter the courthouse through 17 entrances, most of which are not covered by security television monitors. County Courthouse Safety Security concerns have intensified since the courthouse has been pressed into handling an overflow of criminal The Sheriff's Department of Los Angeles is responsible for maintaining lockup facilities at all cases. If it were not for the exceptional performance by Deputy Sheriffs there could be serious incidents. This Superior and Municipal Courthouses. Another function of the Sheriff's Department is transferring prisoners is a problem waiting to explode. from lockup to the courtrooms. In most courthouses, the Sheriff's Department maintains intermediate

Started in the 1930s for the Civilian Conservation Corps the camp is old. It was then used as a Sheriff's Dear Members of the Board of Supervisors, detention camp and in 1983 became a probation camp. We noted in the referent Los Angeles Times article that the Board of The wards work very hard as firefighters and as fire Supervisors is seriously considering the closure of the eighteen juvenile preventers under the direction of the County Fire probation camps. We wish to register with you our strong opposition to such a move. We feel the closure of these camps is not in the best interest of the Department and the supervision of probation personnel. citizens of Los Angeles County. Their work takes them into the rough mountain terrain surrounding the camp. At night they go to school and As you may know, the Los Angeles County Grand Jury is required by State mandate to inspect all of the jails in our county. The juvenile probation live in comparatively primitive conditions. The camp camps fall within that mandate. We have conducted such inspections at looks run down but it is clean. The results they have some of the camps and have others yet to visit during the 1995-96 session. achieved at the a camp are first class. According to a We recently inspected several including the Challenger Camps in Lancaster which include camps Jarvis, McNair, Onizuka, Senior Boys and Reception. recent study, nine out of ten of the wards that leave Routh are not arrested again within a two-year The Probation Department manages these camps without firearms and in a period. constructive atmosphere which provides for these youths, maybe for the first time in their lives, a positive adult structure, good food and a truly sincere effort to help these boys and girls build self esteem. The staff which we met A program like this needs support. are sincerely dedicated to the task of saving as many of these youths as possible from a life of crime and incarceration. Their low recidivism rate is an indication of some success. They are working for more. During the recent earthquake, the camp dining room and kitchen were damaged. Partly because of the These camps are a special effort by the citizens of Los Angeles County not copied elsewhere in the state to our knowledge. The camps are one of the damage and partly because it is old, the building was red few bright spots in law enforcement in the County where real progress is tagged by the County and could not be entered. With being made. The young people in these camps are in general not suitable for the help of the Fire Department (tents and mobile foster homes and if it were not for the camps most of them would end up at kitchen) the camp remained open. Eventually the the California Youth Authority where their prospects for a productive life would be minimal. kitchen was moved partly into the fire station and a temporary trailer was set up as a dining hall over 100 We, at the Grand Jury, are well aware of the financial crisis that faces our County. We are also aware that the Board of Supervisors have their hands yards from the kitchen. Both the kitchen and the dining full in coping with this crisis. But if there is just a chance of saving the hall are substandard. The dispute between the County, future of some of these children, we must strongly request that the Board of State and federal government continues on who and Supervisors find some way to keep these camps open. We can't hope the State will come through and fund the camps. This is too important an issue how much should be paid for earthquake damage. No to leave up to the whim of the folks in Sacramento. one knows when that will be settled. Meanwhile, the camp limps along in danger of being shut-down due to The Probation Department has proved from their track record that they are on the right track. They are dedicated to these children and we must do the substandard conditions. whatever it takes to keep this important program alive. What better natural resource do we have in Los Angeles County than young people who have This is an opportunity for some charitable been turned into productive citizens and away from a life of crime. person, company, labor union, etc., to step in and Thank you for your attention to this matter. sponsor meaningful help to these boys who are working hard to become good men. The amount of money Very truly yours, Mary Jean Pew, Foreperson needed is around $500,000. We hope the Board of 1995-96 Grand Jury Supervisors would let it be known that Camp Routh John Atkinson, Chairperson needs a new kitchen and dining hall in case anyone Jails Committee 56 wants to help. Of course, this is just one need in a The County Courthouse has no metal detectors, county of many needs. But one good deed is better than just five guards. Two guards are stationed at doors, one on the loading dock and two roaming the halls. Visitors none. may enter the courthouse through 17 entrances, most of which are not covered by security television monitors. County Courthouse Safety Security concerns have intensified since the courthouse has been pressed into handling an overflow of criminal The Sheriff's Department of Los Angeles is responsible for maintaining lockup facilities at all cases. If it were not for the exceptional performance by Deputy Sheriffs there could be serious incidents. This Superior and Municipal Courthouses. Another function of the Sheriff's Department is transferring prisoners is a problem waiting to explode. from lockup to the courtrooms. In most courthouses, the Sheriff's Department maintains intermediate