LOS ANGELES — The L.A. County Probation Department hastily moved out all children housed in its troubled Central Juvenile Hall over the weekend, ahead of an inspection from state regulators, officials said.
In interviews with the Los Angeles Times, Probation Department employees described the transfer of approximately 140 children, some with mental health and serious behavior issues, as disorganized and dangerous.
Probation officials gave employees little to no warning of the move and had insufficient staff on hand to conduct the transfers safely, according to an email reviewed by The Times and two employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
