Orange Probation (2023-2024 inspection cycle)

Initial Inspection Report 2023-2024 Biennial Inspection Cycle Date of Exit Briefing: 7/28/2023 Inspection Type: Comprehensive County: Orange Facility Name(s): Orange County Juvenile Hall (JH), Orange County Youth Guidance Center (YGC), Orange County Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) BSCC #(s): JH - 7376, YGC - 7385, YLA - 7388 BSCC Type: Juvenile Hall, YGC - Camp, YLA - Camp Facility Representatives: Daniel Hernandez, Chief Probation Officer; Jessica Johnson, Chief Deputy Probation Officer; Priscilla Suzuki, Director JH, Martin Corrales, Director YGC and YLA BSCC Field Representative: Elizabeth Gong Corrective Action Plan Required? YES DATE CAP DUE TO BSCC: 9/26/2023 Current Items of Noncompliance Title 15. Section Description Facility Wide: The Orange County Facility Policy Manual has comprehensive policies for “All Facilities” as well as policies specific to each program. The ‘All Facility’ policies are in the process of revision. At the Pre-Inspection Briefing for the 2023-2024 Cycle on March 2, 2023, Agency Administration advised no changes were made to policy from the 2020-2022 Inspection other than minor updates. The policies we § 1324. Policy and Procedures Manual. received on June 24, 2023, are located on the Orange County Probation website and are dated from 2013 to 2021. There are 67 policies currently with labor and/or Administration for approval. The agency acknowledges the dated policies and is making efforts to approve and implement new policies in the coming months. As such, the Policy and Procedures Manual regulation contains areas within noncompliance. Orange County Initial Inspection Report Page 2 Title 15. Section Description Juvenile Hall Only: Agency policy and regulation require Safety Checks to be conducted at random and varied intervals not to exceed 15 minutes. Our review of safety checks for the months of December 2022, January 2023, and April 2023, revealed numerous late safety checks. An attempt to audit the reasons for the late checks revealed notes for “Pop § 1328. Safety Checks. Check” or “Roster”, however, recorded as a safety check. We were advised staff complete the checks regardless of whether all youth were in their room but as a matter of practice. We attempted to reconcile the difference between a Title 15 required safety check versus a pop check or roster check through log notes but were unable to determine the difference. Facility-Wide: The agency has no policies in place to address this regulation. The Education Code does § 1370. Education Program. not include required Title 15 language directing Probation responsibilities. Technical Assistance Provided During the Exit Briefing, we discussed the technical assistance recommendations to gain compliance for each regulation noted. The agency is prepared and committed to correcting the areas in regulation, especially regulations requiring technical assistance due to the Policy Manual being out of date and missing requirements from the changes made in 2019. Additional Information The agency has numerous areas to review in addition to the non-compliance noted above. These areas are compliant based on a review of documentation, just meeting the minimum standard. It is the agency’s expectation to exceed compliance in this process.