County Moves to Shift Post-Secondary Education for Incarcerated Youth – What Members Should Know

By Eddie Chism, President

This week, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to move forward with the Probation Oversight Commission’s (POC) recommendations to examine shifting post-secondary education services for youth in probation facilities away from the Probation Department and into the hands of LACOE or another outside entity.

Local 685 members should be aware of what this action does – and what it does not do. The Board’s vote does not implement a transfer today. Instead, it directs County departments to study and report back on what it would take to move college-level programming to another agency, and how staffing, funding, case management, and oversight structures would change.

What the County Is Proposing

According to the Probation Commission’s press release, the Board of Supervisors wants to explore whether LACOE or a third-party organization should lead all higher-education work for youth who already have high school diplomas. This includes:

• Case management and post-secondary planning

• Community college partnerships

• Staffing models and job classifications

• Use of state funds (such as JJCPA and JJRBG)

• Data-sharing and reporting requirements

• Potential shifts in responsibility for K-12 as well as post-secondary coursework

The push is tied to an increase in older youth in our facilities since the closure of the Division of Juvenile Justice, and to recent legislation strengthening college-access programs for justice-involved students.

What This Means for Our Members

Local 685 members have long provided critical support, structure, and safety for the young people in our custody. We understand the value of education, but we also know firsthand the operational realities inside the halls and camps. Any proposal to remove services from Probation – or layer in new responsibilities for other agencies – must be grounded in what actually works inside secure facilities.

This motion raises a number of practical questions that will need answers:

• How would LACOE or another entity operate inside locked facilities where safety, staffing shortages, and security protocols shape daily life?

• How would transitions occur without destabilizing services for youth already enrolled in programs?

• What impacts could this have on Probation staff roles, workload, and case-management responsibilities?

• How will “coordination” be implemented in a system already strained by vacancies, operational mandates, and shifting state requirements?

Local 685 will engage in this process to ensure that any recommendations reflect the realities faced by line staff and do not create unintended operational or safety problems.

What Happens Next

County departments – including Probation – will now begin drafting an implementation analysis. This will include:

• Proposed timelines and staffing changes

• Governance and oversight structures

• Funding allocations

• Metrics and public-reporting requirements

Local 685 will continue to track this issue closely and ensure that members’ voices are included. As more information becomes available, we will update the membership.

For now, this is a study – not a final decision – and we will be actively involved to protect both our members and the youth we serve.

In solidarity,

President Chism