Three Santa Clarita inmates from Pitchess Detention Center were hospitalized Wednesday after overdosing, and two of them are alive due to the help of fellow inmates utilizing Naloxone, also known as Narcan.
Around 5:40 p.m. on Wednesday, deputies assigned to work the North County Correctional Facility (NCCF) in Castaic were alerted of two inmates in medical distress, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
“Deputies and custody medical staff immediately responded to the dorm and found two inmates on an upper-tier, unconscious, suffering from possible overdoses,” the statement read.
However, this potential tragic outcome was averted by fellow inmates housed in the same dorm, according to officials.
When deputies arrived, the two unconscious inmates had just received a dose of Narcan, administered by fellow inmates, according to officials.
Minutes later, a third inmate began to complain of dizziness. All three inmates were treated by medical staff on scene and subsequently transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
“Hours later, they returned to their housing facility,” Sheriff’s officials said.
With opioid overdoses on the rise, the LASD wants to ensure that inmate safety is of utmost priority.
At the direction of Sheriff Alex Villanueva, LASD recently implemented a program in the custodial environment that provides inmates access to Narcan, a medication that, if administered quickly, can be highly effective in reversing an opioid overdose, according to officials.
“Inmates watch an informational video twice a day on administering the Narcan,” said Valerie Silgero, captain for the NCCF.
Since January, Narcan has been administered about seven times to inmates within the jail, Silgero said.
Staff at NCCF regularly conduct searches of the facility looking for narcotics, and from time to time have a dog come in to assist, according to officials.
Currently, two Narcan doses are being distributed in each of the dorms at NCCF. If the pilot program continues to save lives, the Department plans to expand this program to all custody facilities.
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