The Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families is calling for an audit of the county’s probation ombudsman and the grievance process for youths in county detention halls and camps.
The commission’s leader, Patricia Curry, sent a letter to county supervisors Tuesday asking them to direct the county Auditor-Controller’s Office to perform an independent review of the probation ombudsman’s procedures, reports and phone service and make recommendations about how to ensure youths’ grievances are investigated.
“Recently, the Commission for Children and Families became aware of difficulties youth in probation camps and halls were having in obtaining access to the probation ombudsman due to problems with the ombudsman phone line which was disconnected for an extended period of time,” Curry wrote. “It is important that a process and mechanism is in place which allows them to file a grievance.”
The request follows a Times story about probation officers who were convicted of crimes or disciplined for inappropriate conduct involving current or former probationers, including several cases of officers molesting or beating youths in their care. The phone number listed for Probation Ombudsman Jessica Gama on websites and signs posted in the halls and camps was inoperable until about four weeks ago, when a probation spokeswoman responding to calls from The Times said an "urgent work order" had been submitted to repair it.
Interim probation chief Cal Remington said Gama’s phone line was mistakenly shut off by probation staff for about two weeks during a cost-cutting review of unused lines because records showed she never used it to call out.
He said department staff fixed the line as soon as they were alerted to the problem. “We certainly want kids and families to have access to our ombudsman,” Remington said, adding, “It shouldn’t happen again.” Remington said he has spoken with Gama and was reassured that she is fielding complaints effectively. “She does her job well and follows up on those phone calls,” he said. “If there are problems with the grievance system, this is a check and balance on that.”
Some youth advocates who have fought to improve the probation grievance system vouched for Gama, but said probation managers have failed to investigate grievances she reported in the past. “Young people still don’t feel like filing those grievances gets a positive response, nor do parents,” said Kim McGill of the Inglewood-based Youth Justice Coalition, which wants to see probation incorporate youths and families into its oversight and outreach efforts.
The Probation Department has faced federal investigations of the camps and halls in recent years, as well as a federal class action lawsuit filed by the ACLU last month on behalf of students at one of the probation camps alleging they received substandard education. Given the problems raised by those inquiries, Curry wrote, it is particularly important to ensure an effective probation grievance process.
“The commission believes that assistance from the auditor-controller can provide quality control oversights and a more independent approach which would assist the new chief of probation in identifying systemic issues in the camps and halls,” Curry wrote. “It would also provide an important service for the youth.” About 20,000 youths were held at the county’s three juvenile halls last year, about 4,200 at the county’s 19 camps, Remington said.
On Wednesday, Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Mike Antonovich proposed that the Office of Independent Review, which monitors the Sheriff’s Department, evaluate the Probation Department’s internal affairs and child abuse investigations.
On Tuesday, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas proposed expanding probation’s internal affairs staff. Remington, who is in the midst of assessing the department before newly appointed director Donald Blevins takes over April 19, said he supports both proposals. “We want accountability,” he said. “I need help looking at all this. We want everything to get better and we don’t want problems to pop up.”
–Molly Hennessy-Fiske