Special Enforcement Operations Assists with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Mobile Booking

SEO Officers at Mobile Booking Station

Last week, members of the L.A. County Probation Department’s Special Enforcement Operations (SEO) assisted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department in checking the probation status of those arrested for violating curfew.

Two SEO teams consisting of eight probation officers were dispatched to West Hollywood on June 2. The officers' post was at a mobile booking station that was far enough away from the protests to provide a safe area to work. Anyone that was arrested for violating the curfew in place was checked to see if they had any outstanding warrants or probation violations. Out of sixty arrests processed that evening, one person detained had an outstanding warrant or probation violation. All others were cited and released.

SEO teams assisted in the field both nights the curfews were in effect but at no time were arresting individuals or on the front lines. The Probation Department is committed its public safety mission and assisting in turbulent times such as these. 

Dorothy Kirby Center Youth Awarded Scholarship from the Juvenile, Court, Community, and Alternative Schools Administrators of California 

A youth from Los Angeles County Probation’s Dorothy Kirby Center was recently awarded a scholarship from the Juvenile, Court, Community, and Alternative Schools Administrators of California (JCCSSAC). The $500 scholarship is one of only eight annually given to students who have graduated from a county alternative education program and are enrolled in a post-secondary program.

The youth graduated high school while also attending college classes organized by Probation Education Services at Central Juvenile Hall. She has been successful in the college program and has maintained an “A” average in the three college courses that she has completed.

“When our youth first arrive at a hall or camp, we ask for a show of hands if they thought they were coming to juvenile hall or camp to start college,” said Dr. Jesus Corral, Senior Director for Education Services for L.A. County Probation. “No one ever raises their hands.”

The Department’s Educational Services staff works hard to show the youth that a college education is possible. The Department partners with several local colleges, including Los Angeles Mission College, East LA College, Glendale Community College and Los Angeles Trade Technical College. In the current 2019-2020 school year alone, over 316 youth have participated in Probation’s college program with many of these youth completing multiple classes. “The college credits earned by our students are U.C. and CSU transferable and can be applied toward the completion requirements for an associate or bachelor degree”, said Dr. Corral. “Often, they are the first in their family to go to college.”

It is a great achievement to be considered for the prestigious JCCSSAC Scholarship. To win is a tribute to the hard work of the student, her teachers, and camp and court staff. “We serve both high school graduates and non-high school graduates, supporting them from the application process to assisting them to transition back to the community,” said Dr. Corral. “She is another example of an individual that has been supported by the dedicated staff of the Probation Department.”

For more information about the JCCASAC Scholarship, go to: JCCASAC

Flowers were selected and carefully planted in the new flower beds at Barry J. Nidorf

Something Unusual is Taking Root at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall

By Director Laurence Martin, Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall 

Over Mother’s Day weekend, a transformation began on an unused patch of land in between Units J/K and L/M inside Los Angeles County Probation’s Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall. For just a few hours, the “Blooms for our Youth” program led several Probation employees and 12 youth to reform the barren area into a vibrant landscape of flowers, symbolizing their feelings about the women that have nurtured, cared for and loved them.

“We wanted to give the youth a continual reminder that their mother’s bright smiles are with them, even though they are separated,” said Supervising Detention Services Officer Ralph Holguin. Holguin organized the project in honor of his mother, Esperanza Holguin, who passed away last year. “This is my first Mother’s Day without my mother, so I know the hurt many of these kids are feeling.”

For this project, Holguin carefully chose flowers named after women, such as Jasmine, Star, Petunia, Holly, Dahlia and Zinnia. Following a short presentation on soil conditions, irrigation and sunlight, each youth selected what to plant from over 80 different choices. Then they donned their masks and adhered to social distancing while planting the flowers under Holguin’s watchful eye.

“Are you sure they will get enough water?” asked one of the youth. Holguin chuckled as he responded affirmatively because he had been asked the same question at least five times in the last 20 minutes. “By the time we were done, some of these guys planted three different flowers,” said Holguin. “They started to get into it… so I guess we now have a flower gardening program.”

For most of the youth, this was their first time handling the tools commonly used for gardening. But for some, it was a pleasant reminder of his recent past. One youth reminisced about gardening with his uncle before he got into trouble while another was reminded of being on a farm as a little boy.

Several hours later, the landscaping makeover added lively shades of various colors to part of the facility. As the day drew to a close, each of the youth in the unit were able to talk to their mothers and grandmothers. A sense of accomplishment could be seen gleaming in the eyes of the youth as they each reported, “Mom, I planted some flowers in our garden for you!”

Perhaps the flowers aren’t the only thing growing and changing inside Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall.