California’s Juvenile Hall Crisis Exposes Failed Local Oversight; State Must Intervene

California finds itself once again confronting a systemic failure that hits at the heart of public safety and government accountability. The state’s top prosecutor, Attorney General Rob Bonta, has asked a court to place Los Angeles County’s juvenile detention centers under state-appointed receivership due to ongoing unsafe conditions that local officials have repeatedly failed to correct.These juvenile halls—run by the county probation department—have become dangerous environments plagued by rampant violence, drug overdoses—including fatal ones—and shocking corruption, such as probation officers allegedly orchestrating “gladiator fights” among incarcerated youth. This isn’t just a local issue; it is a direct challenge to California’s...