Content Last Updated: December 3, 2025

Key Takeaways

Physical abuse in California juvenile detention centers is a widespread issue that has resulted in numerous legal actions and criminal charges.
Abuse in these facilities can take many forms, often involving unnecessary or excessive force, or staff encouraging fights between youth.
Police Brutality Center provides support to victims who have experienced abuse at California juvenile detention centers by connecting them with skilled and experienced attorneys.

Abuse Allegations in California Juvenile Detention Facilities

Physical abuse in California juvenile detention facilities can take many forms, often involving unnecessary or excessive force, or staff encouraging fights between youth. Reported instances include the following:

At Camp Smith, a Challenger Memorial Youth Center camp, a detainee was allegedly grabbed, slammed, and dragged after refusing to exercise with the dorm.
A detainee with a bone-weakening disease was reportedly dragged across a recreation field by staff who suspected him of drug possession.
At Camp Karl Holton, a 15-year-old reported being kicked in the ribs and slapped on the back of the head during his first week for not lining up quickly enough.
Children at Camp Karl Holton claimed staff forced them into the “bobsled position,” sitting on the ground with knees drawn to their chests and arms around their legs, and then kicked and yelled at them outside the camera's view.
At Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, detention officers have been accused of facilitating “gladiator fights” between youth detainees.

California Juvenile Detention Facilities Where Abuse Has Been Reported

Child abuse in juvenile detention centers, halls, and camps is a prevalent issue across the United States. The California facilities listed below are among those named in reports or allegations of abuse:

Camp Joseph Scott
Camp Karl Holton
Camp Vernon Kilpatrick
Challenger Memorial Youth Center Camps
Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility
East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility
Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility
Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall
Polinsky Children's Center
Youth Transition Campus

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall

Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall has been the subject of multiple allegations of abuse and mistreatment in recent years. In 2025, a grand jury charged 30 detention officers with child endangerment, abuse, and conspiracy for allegedly facilitating “gladiator fights” between youth detainees between July and December 2023. Additional reports describe excessive force by guards and assaults among detainees.

Polinsky Children’s Center

In recent years, more than 150 individuals have filed lawsuits alleging they were abused as juveniles by staff at the Polinsky Children’s Center, with many claiming they were threatened to remain silent. According to recent reports, 55 investigations were conducted into allegations of physical and sexual abuse, with seven of those deemed substantiated.

Los Angeles County Probation Camps

A 2008 report from the U.S. Department of Justice documented widespread physical abuse of youth by staff, including unnecessary restraints and excessive force, at nearly all locations examined during its investigation. The investigation covered Camp Joseph Scott, Camp Karl Holton, Camp Vernon Kilpatrick, and five Challenger Memorial Youth Center Camps.

Although that investigation ultimately concluded that Camp Kilpatrick was free of abuse, it has since been the focus of abuse allegations. In 2023, criminal charges were filed against a supervising deputy probation officer over the use of excessive force against a minor in an October 2020 incident.

Rights and Options for Survivors of California Juvenile Detention Abuse

Victims of physical abuse in juvenile detention may be entitled to compensation. If you or a loved one has experienced abuse in a juvenile detention facility, you have the right to seek justice and hold those responsible accountable.

Detainee Rights

Just as adults in prison have rights protected by law, youths in California detention centers also have certain rights. Those rights include the following:

Safe from abuse: Youths have the right to be free from physical, sexual, emotional, or any other form of abuse.
Protection from harassment: Youths cannot be searched for the purpose of harassment, humiliation, or punishment.
Nutrition and hydration: Youths are entitled to adequate, healthy meals and snacks, as well as access to clean water at all times.
Hygiene and living conditions: Youths must have timely access to toilets and daily showers, sufficient personal hygiene items, clean bedding, and clean clothing.
Medical care: Youths have the right to receive adequate, timely, and appropriate medical, dental, and vision care.
Equal access to services: Youths must have fair and equal access to all available programs, services, and benefits.
Legal and advocacy access: Youths must have the ability to contact attorneys, advocates, or representatives of state or local agencies regarding conditions of confinement or violations of their rights.
Protection from retaliation: The law protects youths from retaliation for filing complaints about conditions of confinement or violations of rights.

How To Report Abuse to Law Enforcement and State Authorities

Many juvenile detention centers, halls, and camps in California have internal procedures for reporting abuse. However, it is always recommended to report abuse to as many appropriate agencies as possible. In addition to the facility itself, you can report abuse to the following:

County probation departments: County probation departments operate and oversee juvenile detention centers. For example, the County of Los Angeles Probation manages facilities such as Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall and Camp Kilpatrick.
California Department of Social Services: This agency provides a directory of county-specific hotlines for reporting child abuse.
The Bureau of Children’s Justice, or BCJ: This agency handles enforcement related to foster care, adoption, and juvenile justice systems.

How To File a Civil Lawsuit

Lawsuits are complex, but a skilled civil rights lawyer can represent you, handle the legal details, and guide you through each step, while providing the support you need. An experienced and knowledgeable lawyer will investigate the abuse, gather evidence to support your claim, draft and file legal paperwork in time to comply with the deadlines, litigate your case, negotiate for a full and fair settlement, advocate for your best interests, and fight for you in court, if necessary.

In California, victims generally have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. This includes cases involving physical abuse, like assault or excessive force. However, when the victim is a child, the law pauses that two-year period until their 18th birthday. While minors can pursue a claim before turning 18, survivors of childhood abuse have until age 20 to take legal action.

Survivors of childhood sex abuse have longer to file suit. In 2019, California Assembly Bill 218 significantly extended the statute of limitations, giving survivors of childhood sexual abuse until their 40th birthday or within five years of discovering their injury to file suit. In 2024, the state eliminated the statute of limitations altogether for any child sexual abuse actions arising on or after January 1, 2024.

Connect With an Experienced Attorney

Police Brutality Center is proud to partner with Alex Straus, Chair of the Civil Rights Department at Milberg LLC, to help victims of civil rights abuses. Throughout his career, Mr. Straus has represented clients across the country in cases involving police misconduct, racial discrimination, and abuse in correctional facilities.

California Juvenile Detention Center Abuse Lawsuit

Were you or a loved one a victim of police brutality?