Efty Sharony, a former ombudswoman for the state Office of Youth and Community Restoration, was shocked by the conditions she witnessed during one of her early visits to L.A. County’s juvenile hall in Sylmar. She described the scene as worse than anything she had seen in her 20 years of experience visiting carceral facilities across California. The Secure Youth Treatment Facility echoed with the sounds of teens screaming, slamming their bodies against doors, and crying during a lockdown. Urine seeped out from beneath cell doors where youths were held in isolation for over 18 hours. These troubled youths, convicted of serious and violent crimes, were enduring deplorable conditions at the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall.
Sharony hoped to address these issues as part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s initiative to reform the state’s youth prison system. However, after raising concerns about the dire situation at Nidorf, she was met with resistance from her superiors. Despite her efforts to shed light on the problems, including the tragic death of an 18-year-old from a drug overdose at the facility, Sharony was ultimately fired and replaced by someone with no prior experience in juvenile justice. The decision to dismiss her came as a shock to local officials and advocates who had long been aware of the deteriorating conditions in L.A.’s juvenile halls.
Not really sure why this matters, but Sharony’s firing highlighted the lack of accountability and transparency in addressing the ongoing crisis in the county’s youth facilities. State officials seemed more concerned with maintaining political relationships than with addressing the urgent needs of the youths in detention. The failure to enforce court-mandated reforms and the delayed closure of problematic facilities like Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall raised questions about the effectiveness of oversight and intervention in the juvenile justice system. The dismissal of Sharony, a respected figure in the field, only added to the growing frustration among those advocating for change.
