An Act prohibiting the solitary confinement of inmates 21 years of age or younger

H3451: An Act prohibiting the solitary confinement of inmates 21 years of age or younger

This bill bans solitary confinement for those 21 and under, except in limited circumstances. Research has established that brain development continues into the mid-20s. Solitary confinement is an extreme form of punishment for any person, but particularly for young people for whom it interferes with important brain developments and can cause irreparable harm. To make implementation of this measure feasible, in the case that an individual poses an immediate and substantial threat to the safety of others, corrections personnel may use isolation briefly, after which time isolation will end unless there is adequate evidence that the individual continues to be an immediate and substantial risk to the safety of others.

Bill Text

Resources:

• PDF- ACLU: “ALONE & AFRAID: Children Held in Solitary Confinement and Isolation in Juvenile Detention and Correctional Facilities – June 2014”
• The Atlantic: “How Solitary Confinement Hurts the Teenage Brain”
• Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: “Juvenile Solitary Confinement: Modern-Day ‘Torture’ in the US”
• American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry: “Solitary Confinement of Juvenile Offenders”
• Pacific Standard Magazine: “Why Solitary Confinement Hurts Juveniles More Than Adults: New York City is ending its use of solitary confinement for juvenile offenders. Here’s the science behind the decision.”