Central Juvenile Hall

Central Juvenile Hall
Location Boyle Heights, Los Angeles
Status Operational
Opened 1921
Managed by Los Angeles County Probation Department

Central Juvenile Hall (also known as Eastlake Juvenile Hall or Central) is a youth detention center in Los Angeles County. Central houses both boys and girls.[1] The Central Juvenile Hall complex was originally established in 1912 as the first juvenile detention facility in Los Angeles County.[2] The hall sits on twenty-two and one-half acres of land in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles. The facility has 24 buildings including living units, two infirmaries, two school buildings, two gyms, kitchen facilities, a chapel, and mechanical areas.[2]

Conditions

In 2014, the Los County Grand Jury criticized the conditions of the hall, and proposed that it be torn down.[3] Into 2016, juvenile justice reform advocates pushed a proposal that would split the Los Angeles County Probation Department in two parts, one for overseeing juveniles and one for adults.[4]

One former Central ward wrote about his experience in solitary confinement in 1962.[5] Into the 2000s, former inmates recalled being placed in solitary confinement at Central.[6]

Programs

In 1997, Sister Janet Harris, then Catholic Chaplain at Central, cofounded InsideOUT Writers (IOW).[7] The organization uses creative writing to encourage personal growth and transformation within the California juvenile justice system and still teaches writing workshops inside Central.[8] Mark Salzman taught for IOW at Central, and wrote a book about his experience.[9] In 2011, IOW teamed with the Los Angeles Opera to perform stories written by incarcerated youths at Central.[10]

In 2012, rap artist RZA spoke to teen fathers at Central.[11] UpRising Yoga has held yoga classes for boys and girls incarcerated at Central.[12]

Notable juvenile inmates

References

  1. ↑ Fritz, Mike. "Photo essay: Life inside a juvenile detention center for girls". PBS Newshour. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 "1999 Los Angeles County Grand Jury Report". Los Angeles County Grand Jury. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  3. ↑ Sewell, Abby. "Future of L.A. County's main juvenile hall is uncertain". LA Times. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  4. ↑ Sewell, Abby. "Should L.A.'s probation agency be split between youths and adults?". LA Times. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "In Solitary at LA's Juvenile Hall, circa 1962". Solitary Watch. Retrieved 5 March 2016. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  6. ↑ Green, Marcus. "In two dozen states, juvenile offenders can be put in solitary. Advocates want to change that.". pri.org. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  7. ↑ "Sister Janet Harris". Loyola Law School. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Archer, Christine. "California Teacher Uses Writing to Inspire Incarcerated Youth". JJIE. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  9. ↑ McCollam, Douglas. "Rough Drafts". NY Times. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  10. ↑ Molvi, Fareeha. "LA Opera performs stories by incarcerated youth at juvenile hall". 89.3 KPCC. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  11. ↑ Romero, Dennis. "RZA OF WU-TANG CLAN TO TEACH TEENS IN JUVENILE HALL HOW TO BE BETTER FATHERS". LA Weekly. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  12. ↑ Schware, Rob. "Yoga: How We Serve Incarcerated Youth". Huffington Post. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  13. ↑ Warren, Jenifer. "Tookie Williams Is Executed". LA Times. Retrieved 5 March 2016.

Coordinates: 34°03′51″N 118°12′26″W / 34.0641°N 118.2072°W / 34.0641; -118.2072

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