The Los Angeles County Juvenile Probation Outcomes Study Part II

In 2008, juvenile halls and camps fell under federal oversight by the U.S. Department of Justice due to inadequate protection from harm and failed to provide adequate suicide prevention and mental health care. In the last Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Los Angeles County Probation Department and the U.S. Department of Justice, Probation was obligated to “support a longitudinal study and develop baseline data tracking systems to assist in the evaluation of systemic outcomes for youth” (see Paragraph 73, #6 External Partnership of this MOA document). This study fulfills this requirement by collecting data for youth cohorts exiting suitable placement and camp in 2015 and comparing results to those reported for the 2011 cohorts in The Los Angeles County Probation Outcomes Study Part I. The purpose of the comparison is to evaluate outcomes for youth within the context of the systems change Probation has been and continues to implement. Moving in this direction improves the ability to assess Probation efforts to improve services and outcomes. In addition to replicating the 2015 study, the current study includes interviews with a sample of youth, their families, and supervising Deputy Probation Officers.  The report and executive summary provides an overview of the results and offers recommendations to improve the effectiveness of juvenile justice in Los Angeles County. 

Dr. Denise Herz of California State University Los Angeles’ School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics was the principal investigator of the report, and Kristine Chan was the Project Manager.  Completion of the study was accomplished with partnerships with Dr. Jorja Leap and Laura Rivas from Leap and Associates and Drs. Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Jacqueline McCroskey and their research team from the Children’s Data Network.