Written by Sathya Chaib
Urban Peace Movement youth organizers protested Alameda County’s use of pepper spray in juvenile detention Tuesday, staging their street play, “Breathing Room” outside the Alameda County Administration Building.
The organizers called on the Board of Supervisors to ban the use of all chemical agents in juvenile centers, citing worries about the harmful mental and physical effects on detained youth.
“These kids’ way of describing what it feels like is as if their lungs are collapsing on them, like their faces were on fire, like they can’t even control their body no more,” Narayan Valvani, a UPM youth member said. “These young people getting sprayed are having panic attacks, nightmares and are scared of the staff and the system.”
Youth: “Stop Pepper Spraying Our Kids!”
The demonstration is part of UPM’s “Stop Pepper Spraying Our Kids!” campaign, created by the youth members in 2025. UPM said it led listening sessions, town halls and surveys throughout the county to center the voices of those impacted by pepper spray to shape their campaign.
“This campaign is about making sure that the Board of Supervisors is centering the healing and well-being of young people,” Dieudonné Brou, Urban Peace Movement’s Youth Justice Campaign Manager, said. “They have a responsibility to the well-being of the young people in the Juvenile Hall, and ultimately, this is a call to ban all forms of pepper spray.”
Alameda, Contra Costa and Sonoma County are the only counties in the Bay that authorize the use of chemical spray in juvenile detention facilities. 35 states in the United States already banned the use of spray in detention facilities. California is one of six states that allow juvenile center staff to carry OC sprays on their person.
During the performance, UPM members shared how the pain from pepper spray can trigger panic attacks and PTSD-like symptoms, especially in children. UPM released a fact sheet detailing consequences such as burning of eyes, skin and respiratory system.
The Probation Department reports less use
In an official note to Oakland Voices, the Alameda County Probation Department said its policy prioritizes verbal de-escalation, crisis intervention and “approved physical intervention techniques.” The department stated it only uses chemical agents as a last resort when there is an immediate threat of harm.
The department said a January policy revision raised the threshold for pepper spray apply and expanded protections for youth with certain physical conditions, mental health problems and and for pregnancy. Every deployment requires supervisor response, documentation, administrative review and accountability, they said.
According to the department, this approach has reduced incidents from 99 in 2025 — an average of 8.3 per month — to 12 through July — less than two per month.
“Our focus is to equip staff with the skills, resources, and therapeutic tools necessary to resolve conflict safely while providing young people with the programming, support, and opportunities they need to succeed,” the statement read. “The significant reduction in critical incidents and uses of force demonstrates that this approach is working and reflects our unwavering commitment to maintaining safe, rehabilitative environments where both youth and staff can thrive.”
By the end of the year, the probation department plans to switch to another form of spray called “Repulse,” which has less respiratory consequences, but still causes burning sensations in eyes and skin.
UPM demands an end to the use of all chemical agents, and they condemn the apply of repulse.
“This is about more than changing one policy,” Brou said in a press release by UPM. “It’s about deciding what kind of county we want to be. Every young person deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and care. We know better, and now it’s time to do better.”
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