Los Angeles County's Juvenile Hall system has been described as a leaderless operation with conditions similar to a "Third World country prison."

That's according to a damning report about the system, written about in a recent article in the Los Angeles Times.

The report was compiled by Azael "Sal" Martinez, a Boyle Heights community leader, who was tasked, as part of the 15-member Probation Commission,  to look into the three Juvenile Hall campuses in LA.  Martinez is himself a product of the system and was  incarcerated at juvenile hall as a teenager, according to the Times. 

His findings at the Boyle Heights site highlight problems not only with the poor conditions in the building, but also with staff accountability. 

Alex Cohen spoke to Times' Garret Theroff about the report and what officials are saying about the deplorable conditions the kids in juvenile hall are living in. 

To hear the whole interview, please click on the blue player above