In response to a motion recommending that Camp Joseph Scott in Santa Clarita be used to permanently house youth formerly under the supervision of the Division of Juvenile Justice, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger submitted a competing motion that instead designates Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar to serve as a secure youth treatment facility for this population.

This action comes a day after Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell and Sheila Kuehl put forth a motion which recommends Camp Scott in Santa Clarita and Campus Kilpatrick in the unincorporated area of Malibu Canyon, to serve as permanent facilities for juvenile males formerly under the Division of Juvenile Justice authority.

“I strongly oppose Camp Scott permanently housing youth who were formerly supervised by the state,” said Barger. “It doesn’t make sense. Our county’s own Probation Department, which is staffed by the professionals and subject matter experts who are tasked with overseeing these youth, recommended that Nidorf Juvenile Hall serve as a Secure Youth Treatment Facility. Their proposal clearly articulates a rationale for why Nidorf is a sound option. It’s the right choice, which is why I’m placing this alternative motion on the table.”

Barger’s comments about the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s recommendations reference a proposal, dated Feb. 8, 2022, in which the department presented a plan to reimagine Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall as a state-of-the-art Secure Youth Treatment Facility where trauma-informed services, therapy and programs would be anchored to help offenders prepare for a successful re-entry to society.

The proposal articulated a series of benefits in favor of the Nidorf site, noting that it has plenty of available space to accommodate the projected population of 150 male offenders and could be reconfigured without impacting services to the youth it currently serves. The proposal also noted that Nidorf is centrally located and thereby ideal for visiting families, community-based providers and partner agencies.

A copy of the report can be found here.

“There are renderings of reimagined spaces where therapeutic, educational and secure quarters would be located,” said Barger, in reference to designs of interior and exterior spaces at Nidorf contained in a presentation that accompanied the proposal. “If the county is serious about its commitment to reimagining how juvenile offenders will be helped, we can start by approving Nidorf. This will enable us to leverage the work that’s already been done to get a County facility ready as quickly as possible. We cannot afford to pass up this opportunity.”

The two motions will be discussed at the upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting on March 15, 2022.

The city of Santa Clarita issued the following press release in support of Barger’s proposal.

“The city adamantly supports Supervisor Barger’s motion recommending the Barry J. Nidorf facility,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste. “Plans have already been established to renovate the facility and Barry J. Nidorf offers the capacity needed to ensure the greatest level of stability and continuity in services for the DJJ transition. This is an opportunity to take advantage of the existing plans for renovations and develop a facility that serves as a beacon for true rehabilitative treatment at our youth facilities. The city remains steadfastly opposed to any plan that includes the dilapidated Camp Scott, as it is completely unsuitable to safely house this population.”

If you would like to provide public comment at the upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting on March 15, 2022, visit Public Comment.