As most readers know, in early January, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors announced that, after a nationwide search, the board had hired a new chief to run the nation’s largest, and arguably most complicated probation department.
New LA County Chief of Probation Adolfo Gonzales
Adolfo Gonzales, the new chief, was previously the head of San Diego’s probation department, where he was known as a strong reformer, particularly when it came to the youth side of probation.
Probation staff members in Los Angeles who have met Chief Gonzalez tell WitnessLA that they are optimistic about the department’s new leader. Yet, in the past two weeks, those same probation sources expressed concern that many of the new chief’s biggest challenges will be dealing with problems that are still being created by some of the members of probation’s upper management.
On Friday, April 30, 2021, AFSCME Local 685 Member and Detention Services Officer/DSO
Michael Wall, a loving father and brother, who was a 14-year veteran of the L.A. County Probation Department, was on duty at Central Juvenile Hall.
Shortly after physically restraining a youth who led a group attack on another minor, DSO Wall went in pursuit of two youth involved in the assault. The youth ran out the classroom and into the open field in front of the school.
“While in pursuit, DSO Wall began to experience medical distress,” said Local 685 Institutions VP Sr. DSO Eric Walton. “DSO Dollberry recognized DSO Wall was in distress and caught him just as he collapsed, preventing him from hitting his head on the pavement. A collaborative effort of labor, including AFSCME Local 685’s and SEIU Local 721’s DSOs, SDSOs, and nursing performed 8 cycles of CPR in attempt to preserve and revive DSO Wall.” DSO Wall was transported to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery
The sight of an officer holding his knee on George Floyd s neck for more than nine minutes until he died from asphyxiation triggered nationwide protests in 2020.
It wasn t the first time there was national outrage about a Black American being killed by police (see: Stephon Clark, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, the list goes on).
But it
was the first time that the talk of police reform moved beyond incremental steps to include widespread, mainstreamdiscussions about foundational change.
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Suddenly, officials were talking about ideas once considered beyond the pale like defunding police departments and ending qualified immunity for officers.
California Attorney General Becerra, Los Angeles County Enter into Groundbreaking Settlements to Protect the Rights of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System Published: Monday, 18 January 2021 05:52
January 18, 2021 - SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Los Angeles County, and the Los Angeles County Office of Education last week entered into
settlements to improve the conditions and education services in the county s juvenile halls. The settlements come after a California Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and work to address serious deficiencies regarding the treatment and conditions of confinement of youth in juvenile detention in the county, as well as concerns regarding the inadequate provision of education services to justice-involved youth. As a result of the investigation, the County of Los Angeles including its Probation Department, Department of Mental Health, and Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Office of Ed
Los Angeles County Enters Settlements To Address Conditions In Juvenile Halls
On Thursday, Attorney General Becerra, Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Office of Education entered into settlements to improve the conditions and services within the County’s juvenile halls after an investigation revealed serious deficiencies.
In 2018, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) launched an investigation as a response to a complaint that looked into the conditions of confinement at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall and Central Juvenile Hall were in compliance with state and federal laws.
Additionally, the investigation examined use-of-force policies and incidents, solitary confinement practices, rehabilitation programming, education and medical and mental health services, ultimately determining the County provided insufficient services and endangered youth safety.