{"id":12253,"date":"2025-04-12T18:20:56","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T01:20:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/?p=12253"},"modified":"2025-04-12T18:20:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T01:20:56","slug":"3-youths-hospitalized-for-suspected-drug-use-at-los-padrinos-juvenile-hall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/3-youths-hospitalized-for-suspected-drug-use-at-los-padrinos-juvenile-hall\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Youths Hospitalized for Suspected Drug Use at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Incident<\/h2>\n

Three youths held in the troubled Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall were rushed to the hospital Friday, April 11, for suspected drug overdoses, but authorities said all returned by the same evening after undergoing routine medical observation.
\nThe Probation Department and local law enforcement have launched an investigation into the \u201cpossible substance-related incident.\u201d As a result, Los Padrinos restricted youth movement within the facility and modified the schedule for the weekend, including cancelling visiting hours for both days, according to the department.
\n\u201cThe safety and well-being of all youth in our care remains our top priority,\u201d a statement read. \u201cThe department is committed to a thorough review and will take all necessary steps to prevent incidents of this nature in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Details of the Incident<\/h2>\n

Attorney Jerod Gunsberg, who represents one of the youths, said his client was found unresponsive in Los Padrinos on Friday. He was taken to the hospital, treated and then returned to the Downey detention facility, Gunsberg said.
\n\u201cMy client\u2019s mother has not been able to see him, nor has she been able to speak with him,\u201d Gunsberg said. \u201cThey\u2019ve completely locked down the facility. Parents do not have access, attorneys do not have access.\u201d
\nNo one from the Probation Department had contacted Gunsberg or returned his calls as of 3 p.m. Saturday.
\n\u201cAll we know now is that he\u2019s in a medical unit at the juvenile hall,\u201d he said. \u201cI have no idea what the condition of my client is right now.\u201d
\nGunsberg called the lack of information and access \u201calarming.\u201d
\n\u201cWe keep having this disastrous situation over and over,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople forget these are teenagers, these are kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drugs a Pervasive Problem<\/h3>\n

Los Angeles County has struggled to stop drugs from flowing into its juvenile facilities for years. In March 2023, the L.A. County Office of Inspector General found pervasive security flaws \u2014 exacerbated by a staffing crisis that is still ongoing \u2014 at the county\u2019s two juvenile halls at the time, Barry J. Nidorf and Central. Investigators determined that drugs were thrown over the fences, dropped by drones and even brought in by fake delivery drivers whose packages were never checked.
\nEmails obtained through a public records request described a \u201cstate of emergency\u201d inside Barry J. Nidorf, with one credible messenger warning probation\u2019s leadership in March 2023 that \u201csomeone will die unless you take immediate and extreme action.\u201d
\nLess than two months later, an 18-year-old in custody at the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility died from a fentanyl overdose. He had been at the facility for only about six weeks at the time. Six more youths were hospitalized before the end of the year.<\/p>\n

Measures Taken to Address the Issue<\/h3>\n

After Los Padrinos officially reopened in July 2023, the Probation Department increased random searches, installed razor wire along the walls, purchased body scanners to place at its entrances and deployed a drug-detecting tool to scan mail in an attempt to intercept contraband. Though signs of drug use were still observed, visitors over the next year described a noticeable change in the atmosphere compared to early 2023.
\nBut the department\u2019s inability to properly staff and provide certain services at Los Padrinos appears to have led to setbacks. The county\u2019s Probation Oversight Commission reported in August 2024 that it attempted to observe 13 hours of scheduled substance abuse programming at Barry J. Nidorf, Los Padrinos and the Dorothy Kirby Center, but more than half of the scheduled programs did not occur.<\/p>\n

Staff Scrutiny Needed<\/h3>\n

Gunsberg said the searches are \u201cirrelevant\u201d and the bigger issue is how the drugs are continuing to get into the facility. The security policies at Los Padrinos are not coherent and \u201cchange regularly on a week-to-week basis, sometimes day to day,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThere is only one way that narcotics are getting in and it\u2019s not the kids bringing it in, it\u2019s not the families bringing it in, it\u2019s not the lawyers bringing it, it\u2019s not the court-appointed experts bringing it in, so who is it?\u201d he said.
\nGunsberg pointed to the attorney general\u2019s recent indictment of 30 probation employees as an example of the need to scrutinize staff more. The employees, ranging from detention service officers to at least one supervisor, have been charged in connection with 69 \u201cgladiator-style\u201d fights that took place at Los Padrinos from June to December 2023.<\/p>\n

Failed Follow-up Inspection<\/h3>\n

The suspected drug overdoses come just days after state regulators reaffirmed that Los Padrinos should no longer be used to hold juveniles due to staffing deficiencies. The Board of State and Community Corrections, the agency overseeing California\u2019s juvenile halls, ordered Los Padrinos to close down in December, but Los Angeles County has refused to comply and filed an appeal.
\nThe BSCC denied the county\u2019s appeal at its meeting Thursday, April 10, and reported that Los Padrinos has failed a follow-up inspection that could have reset the closure process. Inspectors found that while L.A. County had addressed some of the problems identified last year, it still fell below the minimum standards in key areas, with many of those failures directly relating back to the staffing shortage.<\/p>\n

Related Links<\/h2>\n