A California lawmaker is pushing to give incarcerated youth the right to hug their family members during visits — something currently banned at two Los Angeles County juvenile halls.
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, a Democrat representing Los Angeles, recently introduced Assembly Bill 1646. The bill, known as the "Hug Act of 2026," would require all juvenile detention facilities across California to allow physical contact between youth in custody and their visitors, as long as the young person consents.
Right now, hugs — and even handholding — are banned during visits at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey and Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar. The push for the bill came directly from young people inside Los Padrinos, who sent Fourth District Supervisor Janice Hahn a wish list of improvements on a poster back in 2024.
Bryan later visited Los Padrinos and, with help from the juveniles in custody, wrote the legislation. On Tuesday (March 3), the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to support the bill, following a motion co-sponsored by Second District Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
"Children deserve to be held, loved on, and affirmed by their parents," Bryan said in a prepared statement. "Denying incarcerated children hugs doesn't keep anybody any safer. It's time for us to recenter rehabilitation and humanity in our juvenile justice system."
Hahn's motion notes that studies show appropriate physical touch between youth and their loved ones often leads to better mental health outcomes and less violent behavior.
Not everyone is on board without reservations. County Probation Department head Chief Guillermo Viera Rosa told the board that the no-contact rules exist to stop contraband — including illegal drugs — from being passed during visits. He also noted that some youth in custody may not want to be touched, and others may have reason to avoid certain family members. Hahn clarified that the bill allows hugs but does not require them, and that probation officers should always check with the young person first.
The motion supporting the bill notes that contact visits are already standard practice in many California counties, as well as in correctional facilities in New York City, Washington D.C., and Houston. The bill now moves forward in the state legislature, where it will face additional votes before it can become law.