Resource: Federal Court Approves End to Solitary Confinement of Juveniles in Illinois

Solitary confinement of juveniles held by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is banned under a new Department policy recently approved by a federal court in Chicago as part of litigation brought by the ACLU of Illinois. Protracted isolation and solitary confinement long has been recognized as damaging, especially for those with mental illness. It also increases the risk of suicide. A recent analysis of detainees who attempted potentially fatal self-harm in New York City’s jails showed that nearly 50% of these incidents came from the 7% of the population who had been subjected to solitary confinement. . . .