Two inmates are alive today after being saved by two separate doses of Naloxone also known as Narcan, administered by fellow inmates. On Wednesday, May 26th, at approximately 5:37 pm, Deputies assigned to work the North County Correctional Facility (NCCF) were alerted of two inmates in medical distress. Deputies and custody medical staff immediately responded to the dorm and found two inmates on an upper-tier, unconscious, suffering from possible overdoses. However, this potential tragic outcome was averted by fellow inmates housed in the same dorm.
At the direction of Sheriff Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 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. Inmates watch an instructional video on administering the medication during their Inmate Orientation program.
When Deputies arrived, the two unconscious inmates had just received a dose of Narcan, administered by fellow inmates. 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.
With opioid overdoses on the rise, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department wants to ensure that inmate safety is of utmost priority. 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.
