LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said Wednesday she will bring forward a motion next week looking to expedite local implementation of the so-called "Hug Act," which was signed into law over the weekend and allows incarcerated youth to hug their loved ones during visits at juvenile detention centers.
"We have a long way to go to fix our juvenile system, but establishing the right of these young people to hug their loved ones is one small way we can bring some humanity back in," Hahn said in a statement Wednesday. "Safety has to be our priority, but there should be room for kids to be able to hug their moms. I am beyond proud of the young people who inspired this legislation and poured themselves into getting it passed and signed into law. Now we need to make sure this law is implemented at our LA County juvenile camps and halls and implemented right."
Hahn said she will bring a motion before the Board of Supervisors next week calling on the Probation Department to quickly implement the law — Assembly Bill 1646 — when it takes effect Jan. 1. The measure allows juvenile detainees to have physical contact with loved ones during visits, with reasonable safety precautions.
Hahn said the legislation was born at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, where detainees in 2024 developed a list of suggestions for the facility, including the ability to hug their mothers when they visit. She said the youth worked with Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, D-Los Angeles, to develop the legislation.
City News Service
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