City of Malibu Continues Opposition to County Action to Move Juvenile Prisoners to Santa Monica Mountains Near Malibu

By Matt Myerhoff, Media Information Officer for the City of Malibu  

The City of Malibu continued its strong opposition to the action by the County of Los Angeles to move high-risk juvenile prisoners, many of whom were convicted of serious and violent crimes, including murder, to the Santa Monica Mountains just north of Malibu, filing an official letter of protest with the County on July 13.

The City’s letter is available to view at:
https://malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/30291/MalibuCity_letter_toCounty_opposing_camp_kilpatrick_7- 13-2022.

“Safety is our number one priority and moving high-risk juvenile prisoners to Camp Kilpatrick raises too many serious safety concerns, for the surrounding residential communities, including Malibu, as well for as the inmates and the facility staff,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “Malibu will continue to strongly oppose this proposal.”

The City’s letter states its objections to the County’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) related to the permanent Secure Youth Track Facility (SYTF) designation of Camp Kilpatrick, which is located just north of the City limits in the Santa Monica Mountains. Further, while the City understands the need to provide permanent, quality rehabilitative facilities for juvenile offenders, the environmental effects of such facilities on the surrounding community must be analyzed and addressed.

The letter also states that the County has not adequately analyzed the project’s potentially significant impacts related to wildfire safety and evacuation of prisoners and staff, emergency access, public services, and other impact areas, particularly given that Camp Kilpatrick was surrounded by flames during the 2018 Woolsey Fire. The City asked that the County postpone consideration of the project until an adequate CEQA analysis can be performed.

The Las Virgenes – Malibu Council of Governments (LVMCOG) voted unanimously on March 15, 2022 to officially oppose the proposal to move the prisoners to Camp Kilpatrick. The LVMCOG is a Joint Powers Authority that works together to address regional priorities and issues that impact the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village. It took the position at the request of Malibu Councilmember Karen Farrer, who is also the LVMCOG President.

The concerns shared by Malibu and the LVMCOG member cities include:

• The Camp Kilpatrick facility was not designed to house high-risk offenders, raising concerns about the potential impacts to the safety of the surrounding communities, and the safety of the County staff at the facility.

  • The Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar is where these youth prisoners currently spend most of their time while in pre- and post-adjudication status, so remaining at that facility would be least disruptive to their care and supervision. Establishing routines, minimizing changes and offering stability is a best practice.
  • Juvenile Hall was recommended by the Los Angeles County Probation Department as the housing solution that makes the most sense from a programmatic and financial perspective.

The Board of Supervisors voted on March 15 to move the prisoners to Camp Kilpatrick County and to develop a plan for renovations of the facility within 120 days.


The open letter to the surrounding communities by Supervisor Kuehl is available to view at: https://www.malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/29523/Supervisor-Kuehl-Open-Letter-to-Malibu-and- Surrounding-Communites_31022

The proposal by the County Probation Department supporting keeping the youth prisoners at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall is available to view at: https://www.malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/29525/Dept-of- Probation-Proposal-for-a-Secure-Youth-Track-Facility-at-Nidorf-Juvenile-Hall-2-8-2022

The press release from Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the sole vote against moving the prisoners to Camp Kilpatrick, is available to view at: 
https://www.malibucity.org/DocumentCenter/View/29524/Supervisor-Barger-Press- Release-Alternative-Proposal-for-Juveniles-3-11-2022.

The City will post updates and background information on this issue on the website at https://www.malibucity.org/YouthPrisoners

in News
Related Posts

(Video) Food Fight: Chefs Join Forces to Raise Money to Protect Immigrant Families in Venice

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Estrano, Little Dynamite, Sunday Gravy, Kabob Senpai Answer the Call From Turk’s Pizza Party. Dave Turkel Put This Food Resistance...

(Video) This is Downtown Palisades Six Months After the Devastating Wildfires

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

With Only a Few Businesses Remaining and Reopened, The Once-Idyllic District is Still Mostly Charred Remains With Only a Few...

After Losing Medals in Wildfire, Olympian Leaves Palisades for South Florida

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Hall, who had lived in the 1958-built Pacific Palisades home since 2020, ran his successful water safety school, Sea Monkeys...

Santa Monica to Begin AI-Powered Bus Lane Enforcement in July

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The program follows a 45-day pilot conducted earlier this year along Lincoln Boulevard, where 511 potential violations were identified, though...

Sculptor-Designed Marina Del Rey Beach Home Hits Market for Nearly $10M

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

The four-bedroom, six-bathroom residence, known as Shore House, features black glass windows across two wings A 6,603-square-foot beachfront home, designed...

Real Estate Trends Emerge in Palisades as Rebuild Begins

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

With an estimated 2,000 properties affected by the fires, these initial sales represent only a fraction of what’s expected In...

LADWP to Host Virtual Town Hall on Santa Ynez Reservoir, Underground Power Lines

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Residents can submit questions in advance through an online RSVP form The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Strongman to Pull 34,680-Pound Bus at Santa Monica Pier

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Licis, also the 2022 “Arnold Strongman Classic” champion, will undertake the feat to showcase his strength  Strongman Martins Licis, the...

Malibu Traffic Delays Expected: REPORT

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The warning applies to the first weekend of summer Transportation officials are warning travelers on the Pacific Coast Highway through...

Last Thursday Concert to Feature Dancing Lessons, Ginger Merkin and More This Week

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The series runs on the last Thursday of each month through September 26 The Last Thursday Venice Summer Concert Series...

SMC Gallery to Showcase Faculty Art in Virtual Exhibition

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The online event will feature works by seven Emeritus faculty artists. The Santa Monica College Emeritus Art Gallery will host...

Governor Declares Emergency for Malibu to Aid Franklin Fire Recovery

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The fire’s impact was compounded by the January 2025 Los Angeles County Fires and Windstorm Event California Gov. Gavin Newsom...

THIS WEEKEND: Five Outdoor Concerts for Make Music Day Comes to Santa Monica

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The global event, inspired by France’s Fête de la Musique, unites communities through music and is observed in over 800...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...