SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has confiscated more than 1,200 grams of fentanyl from San Diego County jails from January 1, 2023, through December 11, 2023, the most of any drug seized, according to documents obtained by CBS 8.
The data reflects the local and national fentanyl crisis and speaks to ongoing problems in jails across the county.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department told CBS 8 they're actively confronting the presence of drugs in their facilities by closing gaps and expanding healthcare. In addition to drug use, the department has been criticized in recent years for conditions in jails and deaths in custody.
The circumstances of two 2022 deaths were detailed in lawsuits earlier this year, bringing the county's treatment of drugs in detention facilities under greater scrutiny. Both lawsuits involved men who overdosed.
Inside the numbers
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department confiscated a total of 3,316 grams of narcotics from the county's seven detention facilities in 2023 through Dec. 11.
After fentanyl, the second and third most prevalent drugs found in detention facilities this year were meth and marijuana, at 850 grams and 545 grams, respectively.
Data show the amount of fentanyl found in local jails reached the highest point in September and October, hitting 180 grams in September and then spiking to 406 grams the following month. For reference, officials found 50 grams of fentanyl in August and 54 grams in November.
Additional data from the Sheriff's Department show Narcan has been deployed more than 130 times to people in custody this year for suspected overdoses.
Ongoing problems in San Diego jails
In recent years, San Diego County has faced criticism for conditions in its jails and deaths in custody.
A blistering report from the state auditor in 2022 found the San Diego County Sheriff's Department "failed to prevent and respond to deaths" in county jails.
Another report said San Diego's death rate from 2006 to 2020 was one of the highest inmate death rates in the state, at 185. More than 40 people have died in custody since then.
Regarding deaths from overdoses, two lawsuits in September accused sheriff's deputies of allowing or participating in drug sales inside county detention facilities. The lawsuits claimed jail staff did not seek immediate medical attention despite the two men showing clear signs they were in medical distress.
The sheriff's department at the time denied allegations that deputies were involved in the distribution of drugs.
Sheriff's department addresses the issues
Sheriff's department officials have looked to adopt reforms over the past few years.
In a statement to CBS 8 in response to the data on drug seizures, Media Relations Director Lt. David LaDieu said the department has conducted an updated review of its practices to keep drugs out of its facilities. This resulted in shoring up gaps and potential entry points, he said.
"We have seen record interceptions at the point of booking where narcotics were removed from individuals who were attempting to smuggle them into the jails," the statement said. "These interceptions have had a direct impact on the decrease of overdoses taking place within the facilities."
A Contraband and Narcotics Interdiction Team is specially trained in detecting and preventing drugs at intake, the sheriff's department said. The team uses body scanners and an information-led policing approach.
Every person is screened for medical and mental health upon entering custody, in addition to voluntary urine screenings to prescribe proper treatment for any substances in their system.
Officials are "conducting better and more thorough searches" of housing units and of people who enter the jails, the statement said. Among these strategies, the department has centralized mail processing to check for drugs and uses narcotic sniffing K9s for searches.
The department also focuses on harm reduction. Jail staff carry Naloxone, which is now also available for self-administering.
"This change has saved lives," Lt. LaDieu said.
According to Lt. LaDieu, more than 600 people are in an expanded program that provides individual and group counseling sessions alongside medication for withdrawal. The department said it will receive $500,000 in opioid settlement funds to further expand evidence-based treatment for people in custody.
Possessing and/or trafficking narcotics in jail is a felony. The sheriff's department said it has worked with the District Attorney's Office to increase the prosecution rate for these crimes to 96%.
Added Lt. LaDieu, "there is an incredible amount of work being done."
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