Resource: Digging Out of the Hole: Arguments Against the Use of Juvenile Solitary Confinement in Kentucky

Part I of this Note begins with an explanation of the practices commonly employed by states that authorize solitary confinement, an examination of the changing landscape of punitive solitary confinement across America, and a description of Kentucky's practices. Part II discusses the scientific effects of isolation on children's brains, extrapolated from studies conducted on adults and juvenile animals in solitary confinement. Part III discusses how indefinite punitive solitary confinement violates constitutional protections and examines how the federal government and other states have used these arguments to eradicate its use. Part IV argues that juvenile solitary confinement contributes to recidivism and directly contradicts the goals of Senate Bill 200. Part V offers solutions and alternatives, including abolishing the practice completely.