A detainee at a Los Angeles County juvenile hall died of an apparent overdose on Tuesday, May 9.
According to the county Probation Department, the unidentified “young adult was found dead this morning at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall” in Sylmar.
“Our nursing staff immediately administered emergency services, including the use of Narcan,” according to a statement from Guillermo Viera Rosa, chief strategist for juvenile operations for the Probation Department.
“We have notified the family and will cooperate fully with law enforcement on a thorough investigation of the incident,” the statement said. “We have also dispatched peer-support personnel and mental-health professionals to the facility for crisis counseling of youth and our staff.”
No details about the youth who died were released.
The death came on the day county attorneys were scheduled to appear in court and defend conditions at juvenile halls following allegations by state prosecutors that conditions in the facilities were “appalling.”
Last week, the county Board of Supervisors approved a sweeping plan for reorganizing the juvenile detention system. The plan included a relocation of most detainees, upgrades to most facilities and asking the Sheriff’s Department to deploy volunteer reserve deputies to help fill holes in staffing.
Last month, state Attorney General Rob Bonta slammed the condition of the juvenile halls as “appalling” and filed court papers seeking to force the county to immediately remedy “illegal and unsafe” conditions.
The Los Angeles Superior Court motion asks for an order requiring the county to comply with a 2021 judgment ordering improvements at juvenile halls, including improved staffing levels and ensuring that youth in the county’s care are taken to school and medical appointments.
A hearing on that motion was scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The Board of Supervisors was also meeting in closed session Tuesday morning to discuss that pending…
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