PRISONER CONTROL?

Young people kept in facilities of the California Youth Authority are taking
dangerous drugs - not as illegal drugs, but as prescriptions from the
corrections staff, a California newspaper reported on Sunday.

"Powerful mood-altering medications that control depression, schizophrenia
and anxiety are used routinely by the California Youth Authority to control
rowdy wards," reported the Stickton Record. "California's youth prison
system spent nearly $700,000 last year on psychotropic medications dispensed
to wards, sometimes against their will and usually without the knowledge or
consent of their parents.

"The medications ... were prescribed by psychiatrists who are not board
certified. Wards [who are] on the medications are over-seen by Youth
Authority staff who have little experience or training to safely monitor the
use of such drugs," The Record learned during a four-month investigation.

Some of the drugs used include amitriptyline, an anti-depressant that can
cause heart damage and sudden death; phenobartital, a barbiturate; and
chlorpromazine, an anti-psychotic, brand name Thorazine.

"The idea that they are spending $700,000 a year is extraordinary," said
Timothy Lynch of the libertarian Cato Institute. "The costs show that [the
corrections officials] are not just using these drugs as they claim, but to
control the people's behavior.

That's totally inappropriate. It's a disturbing way of keeping peace within
a facility." He suggested a thorough-going state investigation.

What's being done? The office of Sen. John Vasconcelles, Senate Public
Safety Committee chair, told us he is closely monitoring the problem. "It is
all part of a much bigger problem at YA," Chief of Staff Rand Martin said.
"Gove. Davis has made public his desire to get things cleared up. We want to
give the administration the appropriate time to clean up YA. If they fail to
do so, then the senator and his committee will step in and assure the
reforms are accomplished." This clearly is an intolerable situation that
should put every member of the Legislature on alert regarding the health and
safety of some of the state's most troubled, and most vulnerable, youth.
(The Record story is online:
www.recordnet.com/7dayarchive/arcive_home_sun.html)