LA County Redirects Probation Officers, Leaving Thousands of Probationers Unsupervised

Posted by The News Pulse April 27, 2025 Post a Comment

In Los Angeles County, thousands of probationers have been without proper oversight after the Probation Department reassigned the majority of its field officers, supervisors, and directors elsewhere. disturbed Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall following 40% of the workforce calling off on Easter Sunday.

Several individuals within the department, requesting confidentiality due to concerns over potential repercussions, informed the Southern California News Group that certain local offices currently operate with just one or two sworn officers on shift simultaneously. According to these sources, the biggest office in the network, situated in South Los Angeles, serves around 1,600 clients but employs only two law enforcement personnel, making each officer accountable for approximately 800 clients apiece.

You can go through any administrative office, and it's completely empty," according to one source. "Everyone has left.

The American Probation and Parole Association recommends A caseload-to-officer ratio ranging from 20 to 200 cases per officer, based on the risk assessment scores of the individuals involved. Those officers managing high-risk probationers should carry the smallest number of cases.

‘Realistic plan’ needed

Kathryn Barger, a supervisor from Los Angeles County, is urging the leaders of the Probation Department to create and execute an urgent and practical strategy. This plan should address the current emergency situation at Los Padrinos and also work towards stabilizing the overall system.

She stated that allocating resources to Los Padrinos underscores the critical condition of that facility, however, "this should not compromise overall public safety and supervision."

We require innovative and accountable strategies to handle our caseloads and guarantee proper oversight—because having certain officers manage up to 800 cases is entirely untenable," Barger stated. "This also involves thoroughly assessing whether present staffing policies are optimizing the utilization of all available staff members, even those working in restricted capacities.

Supervisor Janice Hahn stated in an official comment that the current circumstances cannot continue indefinitely.

I have significant concerns regarding the adequate support and oversight provided to individuals released on probation throughout the county, considering the number of probation officers redirected to Los Padrinos," she stated. "I persistently urge our probation officers allocated to Los Padrinos to adhere to their scheduled working hours.

No redeployment warning

The most recent restructuring directive set off concerns across the division, with personnel being reassigned unexpectedly just last week. Numerous staff members viewed their current workloads as excessively heavy.

In February, the Probation Department was managing with 121 officers handling 23,641 adult cases and 47 officers looking after 2,032 juvenile cases, as reported. Data shared with the Probation Oversight Commission in March.

Offices managing adults who were prematurely released due to AB 109—the California prison realignment legislation from 2011—had a caseload per staff member ratio of approximately 150:1 back then. For instances concerning individuals required to register as sex offenders—one of the most high-risk groups—it was reported during the POC's gathering on March 13th that this figure stood around 131:1. Previously, these departments generally employed two to four times more personnel dedicated solely to overseeing such cases, noted Alex Nieto, interim deputy director for adult probation, during his address at the session.

According to Nieto, family violence accounted for 15,800 cases managed by around 40 officers, which equates to roughly 395 cases per officer.

We're all handling increased workloads with fewer resources. There's been an impact on our spirits, I won't deny that, but everybody is putting in extra effort," Nieto stated back then. "According to the statistics, we now dedicate less time to interacting with each client.

Deepening staff crisis

Reports indicate that those figures have continued to deteriorate.

While Los Padrinos houses about 300 juveniles total, roughly 4,000 adults and 2,000 juveniles overseen by the now depleted field offices are considered “high risk,” according to the Los Angeles County Deputy Probation Officers’ Union.

“We are extremely concerned about the Chief’s orders to deploy probation officers to Los Padrinos, leaving over 6,000 high-risk probationers unsupervised in our neighborhoods,” said Dwight Thompson, a deputy probation officer and field vice president for Local 685. “This move compromises public safety and deprives the Courts of the expert testimony needed to make informed decisions about these offenders.”

According to a statement from the union, the field offices are currently "practically vacant," with each office having at most "one or two deputy probation officers" tasked with overseeing the clients allocated to them.

An email addressed to employees from a high-ranking official at the Probation Department was shared with the Southern California News Group by several informants. It stated that "all full-time personnel including directors, supervisors, and DPO II members must report to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall indefinitely," adding that just one supervisor would stay behind at the regional office.

‘Public safety is paramount’

Vicky Waters, who speaks for the Probation Department, dismissed claims that just two officers stayed behind at the South L.A. location, stating that "the headcount is somewhat above what has been communicated." When asked to share new data regarding case loads or specify how many staff members were working out of the South L.A. branch, she chose not to reply.

I suppose it can be quite perplexing to listen to certain law enforcement officials state that they do not concur with assignments where their presence is crucial," Waters stated in an email. "It’s part of the core duty for those who have taken an oath as officers and public servants. They should head to locations requiring maximum support, particularly when safeguarding the community both within and beyond correctional facilities is at stake. It's equally disheartening to learn that some personnel might be conveying messages contradictory to what they’ve pledged themselves to uphold, along with conflicting directives from the department.

She mentioned that the department’s Special Enforcement Operations units, along with their counterparts at the county and city levels of law enforcement, are still overseeing probationers within the community. Additionally, a Memorandum of Understanding is being prepared which would enable local authorities to do so more effectively. law enforcement agencies to carry out "compliance inspections" According to Waters, the process on behalf of the department is nearing completion.

We are leveraging our resources and collaborations to safeguard public safety within both youth detention centers and local communities," she stated. "Ensuring public safety remains top priority for our agency, and those suggesting otherwise are simply mistaken.

Confusion among probationers

The members of the Probation Oversight Commission have often mentioned they receive numerous complaints stating that probation officers are frequently unavailable to their clients. Additionally, many probationers report being unsure about which specific probation officer is assigned to them at various times because of frequent changes in personnel.

In their statement, the Deputy Probation Officers' Union claimed that the redeployment is preventing the courts from receiving testimonies provided by field officers, which are typically utilized during decisions regarding probation or placement for defendants.

The widespread mobilization scheduled for Easter Sunday occurred only a few days following Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Miguel Espinoza’s directive to the Probation Department requiring them to develop a scheme to reduce the population of Los Padrinos By May 2nd, the detention center in Downey. has been under scrutiny For over a year, it remained open despite repeated failures during inspections because of inadequate staff levels. The facility was ultimately directed to close by the Board of State and Community Corrections, which oversees California’s youth detention centers, in December.

But the county refused to comply, trying to reverse that decision via appeals and, more recently, filing a lawsuit against the state.Espinoza, following four court hearings stated that the facility was not permitted to keep operating Los Padrinos at its present capacity and had to either decrease the population sufficiently to meet new state inspection standards or shut down entirely.

Call-outs coordinated?

Earlier last week, rumors spread that the callouts were part of an organized "sickout" protest commonly known as a "blue flu." However, Waters, who serves as the department’s spokesperson, stated that the Probation Department did not have substantial evidence backing this claim. She also mentioned that there weren’t many callouts reported the following day.

“We treat all claims of employee misconduct with seriousness and, if reliable evidence emerges concerning any degree of collaboration leading to the staff shortfall on Sunday, it will be examined and the necessary steps will be taken,” she stated.

The probation officers' union asserted in their statement that the department's reported figures for calls are "inflated consistently."

As the branch offices grapple with heavier workloads, hundreds of field officers stay on compulsory leave or are cycling through a restricted number of temporary roles for individuals with work limitations.

Last year, the department sent the officers back home since their constraints stopped them from being reassigned to the juvenile hall. These officers contend that their injuries or health issues wouldn’t hinder their capacity to perform duties at the field offices, where far less physical exertion is required. In certain instances, they've provided doctors' certificates supporting this claim.

LA County supervisors want Los Padrinos declared an emergency to avoid ‘extreme peril’
Los Angeles County ignores directive to shut down Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and submits a final-hour appeal.
Los Angeles County asks for assistance as they grapple with overseeing 'high-risk' probationers.
Judge Orders LA County to Reduce Population at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall
Los Angeles County probation officers, compelled into unpaid leave due to injuries, face significant financial repercussions.

Last year, a class-action lawsuit was initiated representing approximately 800 officers with the aim of contesting these leaves. The department insists that every sworn officer needs to be capable of meeting the requirements. the full standards Of an officer being assigned to light duty, despite having a sedentary role at their desk job, and the issue that there aren’t sufficient modified responsibilities jobs for every officer who needs one.

An officer who came back after a 90-day rotation mentioned that he resumed his former position and carried out the same responsibilities, yet is now allowed to work for only half of the year.

Other officers have used up their sick and vacation days to fill in for these gaps, but they are now left without those options. experiencing financial hardship, One recently retired individual told the Southern California News Group that they chose to retire early to prevent their home from being foreclosed upon.

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