pepper spray

Young people in California’s juvenile justice system were exposed to chemical agents like pepper spray more than 5,000 times over the course of three years, according to a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California.

Six Los Angeles County probation officers are facing criminal charges as a result of an investigation into the use of pepper spray on youth held at the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall last year, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

When the Los Angeles County Supervisors voted unanimously on February 19, to slam the door on the use of pepper spray on the kids in the care of L.A. County Probation, they expressed their intention in unusually forceful terms.

Los Angeles County continues to wrestle with the safety and well-being of youth in its juvenile detention facilities after a new report found the Probation Department has too often used pepper spray on youth.

Just a few years after Los Angeles County exited a monitoring agreement with the Department of Justice, the county’s probation department has seen a return of rampant use of pepper spray in settling altercations and other misbehavior at juvenile detention facilities.

California is one of only five states that allows guards at juvenile facilities free reign to carry chemical spray to restrain youth held there. A coalition of advocates and lawmakers in the state are working on a bilateral effort to bring an end to this long-standing practice.

A class-action lawsuit announced today accuses the Wisconsin Department of Corrections of housing nearly one-fifth of its juvenile wards in solitary confinement, often for unnamed or minor offenses, and wantonly using chemical restraints on incarcerated youths.