One month ago, a young man collapsed at the Heman G. Stark youth prison. According to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Hector R. collapsed in the gymnasium while playing soccer. He was pronounced dead at 8:35 pm.. Questions remain as to why this 20-year-old young man died so suddenly. Rumors have circulated among concerned parents and youth in the prison as to what really happened. Did staff members take too long to render medical attention to Hector? Could he have been saved had medical personnel rushed to the scene? Was it really a heart attack? And if so, how many 20-year-olds die from heart attacks? Was it perhaps a drug overdose? And if so, how did he have access to those drugs? When a youth dies while in the custody of the state, in addition to the family, the general public should also be informed as to what went wrong. I am frustrated by the unanswered inquiries and the lack of transparency the California Division of Juvenile Justice is willing to share with the public. Privacy is one thing but secrecy is unacceptable. "We don't know" just isn't good enough. Rumors will continue to circulate. Family members are left to wonder what exactly happened and whether what happened to Hector could happen to their children. And what reassurance has been given to the youth who remain inside the DJJ? Family members have spoken up about delays in medical attention and the inadequacy of treatment prescribed. Incidents of youth living with broken bones for months before they receive any medical treatment and youth concocting their own remedies in their cells to combat fevers and aches are commonplace occurrences in the DJJ. This is a far cry from the DJJ's commitment to "treat all people with dignity, respect, and consideration." In the meantime, we are awaiting the results of the autopsy report. Please contact us if you have any information regarding Hector's family. Our prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.