A teenager was found dead of an apparent overdose inside Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar Tuesday morning, according to the L.A. County Probation Department, which oversees the hall.
The death comes weeks after a state oversight board declined to shut down Nidorf and Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights, despite ongoing problems including overdoses and violence at the facilities.
“The LA County Probation Department is heartbroken to confirm that a young adult was found dead this morning at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall,” Guillermo Viera Rosa, chief strategist for juvenile operations, said in a statement. “Our nursing staff immediately administered emergency services, including the use of Narcan.”
The department did not identify the drug or drugs involved.
The person who died was an 18-year-old male, according to a well-informed county government source not authorized to speak about the death. The incident occurred inside the Secure Youth Track Facility, which houses those accused of serious and violent crimes, the source said.
“I want to convey our most profound condolences to the youth’s family,” Rosa said, adding that the department “will cooperate fully with law enforcement on a thorough investigation of the incident.”
He said the department has dispatched peer support personnel and mental health professionals to Nidorf for crisis counseling of youth and staff.
Drugs are a big problem in juvenile halls
Drugs, including fentanyl, are common inside the juvenile halls, which together house about 350 people.
Last month, the county’s Office of Inspector General issued a report on drugs entering juvenile halls. It…
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