Camp Scott Will Not House Juvenile Serious Offenders
On March 21, 2023, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion adopting a plan for the County Probation Department’s halls and camps, specifically as it relates to establishing Secure Youth Treatment Facilities following the transfer of juvenile serious offenders from state to county custody. The motion by Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath and Janice Hahn directs the county’s Probation Department to develop a long-term plan that, among other things, will result in Camp Scott being the only county detention facility for all girls, young women and gender-expansive youth non-serious offenders. The motion also calls for a plan to make renovations to Camp Scott.
Camp Scott, which is located in the City of Santa Clarita on property owned by the County, was temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and had its all-girls population transferred to Dorothy Kirby Center in Commerce. The motion will reactivate Camp Scott in a way that is consistent with the historical use of the site. There is no plan to reopen Camp Scudder, which is located on the same property and was closed by the county in 2019 due to issues related to its structural vulnerability.
Though the Board of Supervisors voted to approve Camp Scott as a permanent location for juvenile male serious offenders in March 2022, Tuesday’s vote instead directs the Probation Department to designate a portion of Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and Campus Kilpatrick in Malibu to house juvenile male serious offenders. Dorothy Kirby Center is designated to permanently serve juvenile female serious offenders.
The City of Santa Clarita will continue to keep the community informed of this crucial issue. For more information, please visit santa-clarita.com/city-hall/camp-joseph-scott.
