By Daily Press staff
A candlelight vigil will be held at City Hall on Wednesday to remember the lives of two teenagers who were found dead in their jail cells nearly 100 days ago.
Deon Whitfield, 17, of Los Angeles and Durrell Feaster, 18 of Stockton, were found hanged in their cell at Preston California Youth Authority on Jan. 19.
The vigil is expected to be attended by young people, including youth formerly incarcerated in the California Youth Authority, the families of youth in CYA, human rights activists and community-based organizations from throughout Santa Monica and LA County. The group will mourn the deaths and condemn the alleged abuse of youth in California Youth Authority. The LA County vigil is one of nine vigils happening throughout the state. San Francisco’s “Ella Baker Center/Books Not Bars” has called for groups state-wide to host vigils.
A coalition of prominent community groups that represent families, youth, and concerned citizens that are pressing for reforms within the California Youth Authority.
A state report released by Prisoner Legal Services has confirmed that CYA facilities regularly fail to provide youth with basic educational, mental health and drug treatment programs mandated by law, critics say. California’s Youth Authority is now considered the most brutal youth prison system in the country, they added.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 27, 2004. Read the original PDF.