Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Barger “Welcomes” State Takeover of County Probation System Amid Deepening Crisis

Supervisor Kathryn Barger via Facebook

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger calls state receivership a long-overdue reform effort

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena, has endorsed Attorney General Rob Bonta’s request to place the county’s juvenile probation system under state receivership, calling the move a long-awaited response to years of dysfunction.

“I am not surprised by Attorney General Bonta’s request… In truth, this moment has been a long time coming,” Barger said, citing the department’s decline and attributing some of its failure to the Board’s “micromanagement.”

Bonta’s petition seeks a court-appointed receiver with full managerial control over juvenile halls and camps. The plan includes quarterly reports to the court, strict compliance benchmarks, and a $25 million Victims Compensation Fund for youth harmed since 2021. Local oversight would be suspended until the County achieves 90 percent compliance for four consecutive quarters.

“My focus remains unchanged: protecting and supporting the youth in our care,” Barger noted. “If a state receivership is what it takes to finally deliver those reforms… then I welcome this intervention.”

Bonta’s filing follows a series of high-profile failures. These include the July 2 mass overdose at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and the March indictment of 30 probation officers accused of staging fights among detained teens. A judge ordered the facility’s depopulation in May, citing escalating safety concerns.

Support for the receivership is not universal. Supervisor Janice Hahn said, “We have exhausted every tool at the County level… I stand ready to help receivership succeed.”

Supervisors Lindsey Horvath and Hilda Solis voiced concerns but did not oppose the intervention.

County Counsel has 30 days to respond to the petition. A court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.