June 5, 2008
State OKs changes for juvenile parole violators
The state has agreed to provide attorneys and timely hearings for juveniles accused of violating parole, in a settlement of a federal class-action lawsuit by youths who said prison officials infringed on their constitutional rights.
The lawsuit, filed nearly two years ago by former wards of the state's Division of Juvenile Justice, alleged that the state was violating youths' rights to due process by detaining them for months without legal counsel or a hearing on the charges and by failing to offer assistance for those who were disabled, as required by federal law.
In some cases, youths would be held for so-called technical violations of the terms of their release, such as consuming alcohol or traffic offenses…
LINK - LATimes.com
