A sign near the parking lot of the Kings County Juvenile Center. A new report from state disability advocates at Disability Rights California and Disability Rights Advocates claims that juveniles at the Kings County Juvenile Detention center are often subjected to overuse of pepper spray and unnecessary physical abuse.
A sign near the parking lot of the Kings County Juvenile Center. A new report from state disability advocates at Disability Rights California and Disability Rights Advocates claims that juveniles at the Kings County Juvenile Detention center are often subjected to overuse of pepper spray and unnecessary physical abuse.
A new report from state disability advocates at Disability Rights California and Disability Rights Advocates claims that juveniles at the Kings County Juvenile Detention center are often subjected to overuse of pepper spray and unnecessary physical abuse.
The report alleges that youths were often pepper sprayed directly in the face for relatively minor infractions, such as talking back, and then left alone in their cells for a long period of time without any chemical decontamination wipes.
“Our intent with this report is to call on Kings County to reform the horrific conditions in the Juvenile Center,” said Melinda Bird, Senior Litigation Counsel at Disability Rights California. “Juvenile detention facilities across the nation have prohibited the use of pepper spray and other traumatizing practices, and Kings County should do the same.”
Kings County administration said they planned to meet with one of the groups who authored the report.
“The physical safety and mental/emotional well-being of our juveniles is of utmost importance, and we take these allegations seriously,” a spokesperson for Kings County administration said in a written statement. “Kings County is committed to protecting the rights of all residents, and our incarcerated youth are no exception. We recognize that immediate action is needed, and we look forward to meeting with Disability Rights California to discuss their alleged findings, and develop a plan forward.”
The report describes one youth as having dunked their heads in the toilet of their cell in a desperate attempt to stop the burning in their eyes from pepper spray. The report from the disability advocates also alleges that physical force is routinely overused, describing a youth who was slammed to the ground for trying to bring cookies back to their room.
The report also suggested that probation staff undercounted these use-of-force incidents.
Under state law, juvenile centers and prisons are required to be inspected at least every other year by the California Board of State and Community Corrections. The disability rights advocates cited one of these inspection reports of the Kings County Juvenile Center completed near the end of May of this year as corroborating their findings.
The state report did find that youths subjected to “chemical agents” were left alone in their rooms, and the facility often failed to file the required documentation after the use of these agents.
The state inspection also claimed the Juvenile Center failed to provide juveniles who were under suicide watch the same opportunities and privileges as juveniles who were not. The report found that, regardless of the severity of the suicide risk, juveniles were separated from peers, did not receive regular programming and always had to wear a suicide smock.
However, the same state report did find that 55 grievances filed by youths at the facility were handled in a timely manner, with interviewed youths reporting that they felt they had been treated fairly.
