Detention facility ramps up security after 8 overdoses in 2 weeks
Administrators at the Chehalis juvenile facility will reduce visitors, implement “no contact” visits and increase searches to curb drug overdoses.
Author: Chris Ingalls
Published: 11:05 AM PST December 18, 2024
CHEHALIS, Wash. — After eight drug overdoses in the last two weeks, administrators at the troubled Green Hill School in Lewis County are increasing security measures.
“We are very concerned about this and feel that something tragic could happen if we don’t address the overcrowding and take aggressive steps to reduce the introduction of contraband,” said Ross Hunter, secretary of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, which runs Green Hill.
In a press release Wednesday, the department said the inmate overdoses were caused by synthetic drugs, known as “K2” or “spice” that were smuggled into the facility. These drugs do not respond to Narcan, the treatment for opioids like fentanyl, which has also resulted in numerous overdoses at Green Hill.
Among the new security measures, administrators are reducing the number of visitors allowed, implementing “no contact” visits and increasing the volume of searches.
DCYF said the overdoses are a symptom of inmate overcrowding. This month Green Hill houses 60 more inmates than the 180-bed facility was designed for. The population on Dec. 17 stood at 239. Outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee has proposed moving a segment of the older population (Green Hill detains offenders up to the age of 25, in addition to juveniles) to a new facility in Aberdeen. That plan will require approval from Washington lawmakers.
Last month, Inslee said a new superintendent has helped reduce the number of assaults and other crimes inside Green Hill. However, the KING 5 Investigators exposed a troubling trend among employees at the institution. Records from Chehalis police, where Green Hill is located, show that 21 DCYF employees have been referred criminal investigations in 2024. Most of those cases involve workers accused of having sex with Green Hill inmates. A half dozen of those workers have been criminally charged, while the others remain under investigation.