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Game Changer Signs Historic Contract with Los Angeles County Probation Department
Training Services to be delivered to Los Padrinos & Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall
LOS ANGELES, CA – The largest probation department in the nation has agreed to terms on a 6-month contract with Game Changer. The Los Angeles-based California POST-accredited and STC-
Game Changer has been including juvenile probationers and juveniles in the custody of the LA County Probation Department in their trainings since 2019. The working relationship between the two entities took on an added layer when the model became accredited by Standards and Training for Corrections (STC) in 2021. Game Changer will focus their data proven pre de-escalation training model on probation officers and juveniles who are in the current custody of the Probation Department at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, CA, and young adults in custody at the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar, CA.
2025 Game Changer training inside juvenile hall in San Diego, CA
Over the course of the contract, hundreds of juvenile and young adult incarcerees, probation officers, and members of traditional law enforcement, will participate in moderated 3-hour moderated focus groups to discuss problems and devise solutions together. Los Angeles County Probation officers will earn continuing education units in Community Policing and Communication through Experiential Knowledge Acquisition from California Standards and Training for Corrections (STC). Members of traditional law enforcement will earn continuing education units in Community Policing/Building Trust from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
“This collaboration represents an important step toward bridging the gap between youth housed in Probation facilities, probation officers, police officers, and other juvenile justice professionals,” said Acting Chief Deputy Robert Arcos. “Trainings like this, which foster open dialogue and set achievable goals, are essential to creating lasting, positive change in our communities.”
Pre and Post Perception data will be captured by Game Changer personnel to measure changes in perceptions and behavior among the participating juveniles, young adults, and members of law enforcement.
“Through Game Changer, law enforcement personnel are building trust and understanding with the very youth most at risk of future encounters with law enforcement—before they return to the community,” said Sean Sheppard, Founder of Game Changer.
Since December 2016, Game Changer has conducted 172 in-person and virtual training events in 10 different states and Canada. A total of 3,073 community residents and members of law enforcement have participated in the training events, including 57 unique law enforcement agencies on the local, state and federal levels.
For more information on Game Changer please visit: GameChanger1.org