San Diego County’s juvenile detention system, including the former Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, has a documented history of sexual abuse, staff misconduct, and institutional failures that left minors vulnerable while in county custody.
For decades, youth held at these facilities were tragically abused by staff members and others in positions of authority, raising serious questions about supervision, oversight, and the county’s ability to protect children it was legally responsible for safeguarding.
Kearny Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility, which operated for decades as San Diego County’s primary long-term juvenile hall, was under the control of the San Diego County Probation Department. Like other county-run juvenile facilities, it was required to meet basic constitutional standards and comply with laws designed to prevent sexual abuse, including the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Instead, internal reviews, complaints, and later investigations described an environment where reports of abuse were ignored or inadequately investigated, and where staff accused of misconduct were allowed continued access to detained youth.