LA Superior Court launches initiative to reform juvenile justice system

The Los Angeles County Superior Court has partnered with top juvenile justice organizations to evaluate and improve its juvenile system, with Supervising Judge Miguel Espinoza leading the initiative.

"This project is an example of the true collaboration that we have established and come to rely on here in LA County," Espinoza said. "We're really excited about the project and thankful to the justice partner community for agreeing to be a part of this. I think the end result is going to be improvements in how we administer justice and support the youth that are living in our community."

According to Espinoza, the project will have two chief aims.

"We hope to identify programs, procedures and methodologies that we are currently utilizing in our juvenile justice system that are working very well to highlight and elevate those programs and to model them for other jurisdictions across the state and across the country," he said.

"The second thing that we look to do is to identify areas that need improvement and to figure out how we can improve upon existing programs and processes to make them better, all in an effort to better serve the youth that are within our system and the community here in LA County," he continued.

Announced Monday, the initiative is a collaboration with the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center to evaluate probation, diversion, detention alternatives, and family engagement, the court said.

"Because the court plays a significant role in the juvenile justice system of Los Angeles County, it is uniquely positioned to explore and leverage the latest research to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth," Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said in a statement. "This research opportunity, in collaboration with leading juvenile justice scholars, will enable the court and its county justice partners to thoughtfully examine the foundations of the juvenile justice system. By using data-informed recommendations, we aim to reduce disparities, enhance existing strengths, and address ongoing challenges with actionable milestones to improve youth outcomes."

"This important research project reinforces the court's commitment to providing equal access to justice through the fair, timely and efficient resolution of all cases," he continued.

Katherine Lucero, director of the Office of Youth and Community Restoration, said she was pleased to enter the partnership "to achieve system improvements which will improve outcomes to ensure that youth have a successful transition into adulthood.

"OYCR promotes trauma responsive, culturally informed, and developmentally appropriate services for youth involved in the youth justice system which have been shown to improve public safety," Lucero said in Monday's news release. "We look forward to this study to identify where these services can best be incorporated into the youth justice system continuum of care in Los Angeles County." The Los Angeles County Superior Court has partnered with top juvenile justice organizations to evaluate and improve its juvenile system, with Supervising Judge Miguel Espinoza leading the initiative.

"This project is an example of the true collaboration that we have established and come to rely on here in LA County," Espinoza said. "We're really excited about the project and thankful to the justice partner community for agreeing to be a part of this. I think the end result is going to be improvements in how we administer justice and support the youth that are living in our community."

According to Espinoza, the project will have two chief aims.

"We hope to identify programs, procedures and methodologies that we are currently utilizing in our juvenile justice system that are working very well to highlight and elevate those programs and to model them for other jurisdictions across the state and across the country," he said.

"The second thing that we look to do is to identify areas that need improvement and to figure out how we can improve upon existing programs and processes to make them better, all in an effort to better serve the youth that are within our system and the community here in LA County," he continued.

Announced Monday, the initiative is a collaboration with the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center to evaluate probation, diversion, detention alternatives, and family engagement, the court said.

"Because the court plays a significant role in the juvenile justice system of Los Angeles County, it is uniquely positioned to explore and leverage the latest research to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth," Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said in a statement. "This research opportunity, in collaboration with leading juvenile justice scholars, will enable the court and its county justice partners to thoughtfully examine the foundations of the juvenile justice system. By using data-informed recommendations, we aim to reduce disparities, enhance existing strengths, and address ongoing challenges with actionable milestones to improve youth outcomes."

"This important research project reinforces the court's commitment to providing equal access to justice through the fair, timely and efficient resolution of all cases," he continued.

Katherine Lucero, director of the Office of Youth and Community Restoration, said she was pleased to enter the partnership "to achieve system improvements which will improve outcomes to ensure that youth have a successful transition into adulthood.

"OYCR promotes trauma responsive, culturally informed, and developmentally appropriate services for youth involved in the youth justice system which have been shown to improve public safety," Lucero said in Monday's news release. "We look forward to this study to identify where these services can best be incorporated into the youth justice system continuum of care in Los Angeles County."