Another Young Man Found Dead in Oakland youth authority cell

• 24-year-old's death is fourth inmate fatality in facility this year

An Oakland man was found dead in his California Youth Authority cell this holiday weekend, the embattled agency's fourth inmate death of 2004. CYA staffers found Dyron Mandell Brewer, 24, unresponsive shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday in his cell at the N.A. Chaderjian Youth Correctional Facility, one of four CYA facilities clustered just outside Stockton. CYA spokeswoman Nancy Lungren said emergency services and law enforcement personnel were called but couldn't revive Brewer. No foul play was immediately apparent, but the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Department and coroner's office are investigating. Books Not Bars, a CYA-reform project of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in San Francisco, issued a news release Monday. "It's outrageous that so many young people entrusted to the state's care are dying," said director Lenore Anderson. "We believe this keeps happening because this system is built on a foundation of fear and violence. "Everyone knows about CYA's disturbing code of silence," she added. "Parents and advocates are going to be looking at this case closely to make sure there's no cover-up." Deon Whitfield, 17, of Los Angeles and Durrell Feaster, 18, of Stockton were found dead Jan. 19 in their cell at the Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione; they had hanged themselves with bed sheets. Another ward died later that month after swallowing toxic chemicals. [more ]