As of Fall 2020, articles will be shared via the Stop Solitary for Kids social media – @StopSolitary. You can find highlights of recent developments here.
IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
- Publication: Ethical Use of Medical Isolation – Not Solitary Confinement – To Reduce COVID-19 Transmission in Correctional Settings, Dr. Brie Larson, Univ. of California San Francisco, Amend, 2020
- Coronavirus in juvenile detention is a ‘nightmare scenario,’ doctors and advocates say (NBC News, Mar. 2020)
- “I Want to See My Child.” Juvenile Lockups Cut Visits Over COVID-19 Fears (Marshall Project, Mar. 2020)
- Washington State Senate Passes Bill to Prohibit Solitary Confinement of Youths (Federal Way Mirror, Feb. 2020)
- Even Brief Exposure to Solitary May Increase Risk of Death After Prison (ShadowProof, Feb. 2020)
- Nebraska Youth Solitary Bill Signed Into Law (Lincoln Journal Star, Feb. 2020)
- Juveniles face solitary confinement, abuse in state custody, Justice Department finds (Charleston Post Courier, Feb. 2020)
- Fights, Isolation: Feds Say SC Doesn’t Protect Young Inmates (NY Times, Feb. 2020)
- SC Juvenile Prison Director Promises to Improve Prisons (NY Times, Feb. 2020)
- Pennsylvania Lawmakers, advocates seek to reduce use of solitary confinement (Philadelphia Tribune, Jan. 2020)
- PA Lawmakers Advocate for Solitary Confinement Reform (WENY News, Jan. 2020)
- State Vows Again to Reform Colorado’s Youth Corrections System (Colorado Springs Gazette, Jan. 2020)
- Washington Introduces Bill to Prohibit Solitary for Youth (Auburn Reporter, Jan. 2020)
- Tennessee says solitary confinement is prohibited in their juvenile detention centers. But the practice persists (WKBW, Nov. 2019)
- Little progress seen in curbing solitary confinement of Nebraska youths in juvenile facilities (Omaha Herald, Nov. 2019)
- U.S. DOJ Launches Investigation of Connecticut Facility Holding Adult-Charged Youth in Solitary (Hartford Courant, Nov. 2019)
- Teens Behind Bars: ‘I Felt Like I Was Losing My Mind’ (The Crime Report, Nov. 2019)
- Iowa to pay $700k to pair who alleged abuse after transfer to Wisconsin girls’ detention center (Des Moines Register, Oct. 2019)
- Opinion: Solitary Confinement Is No Place for Children — or Anyone, For That Matter (Maryland Matters, Oct. 2019)
- Settlement Will Force an Indiana Juvenile Detention Center to Reduce Solitary (South Bend Tribune, Oct. 2019)
- Federal Judge Orders Vermont Juvenile Detention Center to Stop Solitary (Rutland Herald, Oct. 2019)
- University of North Carolina study shows link between restrictive housing and increased risk of mortality (Medical News, Sept. 2019)
- Florida Lawsuit Challenges Use of Solitary Confinement for Children (SPLC, Sept. 2019)
- When Solitary is a Death Sentence: Mariam Abdullah died by suicide after the teen spent much of the final two years of her life in solitary confinement (Huff Post, Aug. 2019)
- R Street Blog: It’s Time to End Solitary Confinement (R Street, July 2019)
- Memphis Juvenile Justice Center Receives Praise for Major Reforms (Memphis Action News, July 2019) read our Not in Isolation Report
- NJ Governor Signs Legislation to Restrict Use of Isolated Confinement (Trenton Times, July 2019)
- In Shelby County, TN, a Push to Reduce Youth Solitary Confinement (TN Public Radio, July 2019)
- Monitor finds problems persist at Wisconsin youth prison , Lincoln Hills (Star Tribune, July 2019)
- PbS Releases New Report on Isolation (PbS, June 2019)
- Groundbreaking Report Released from Stop Solitary for Kids: “Not in Isolation” (June 2019)
- A Roadmap to Ending Solitary (JJIE, June 2019)
- Blog by Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators on Reducing Solitary (June 2019)
- Iowa boy who was locked in seclusion testifies: ‘I know I was crying a lot. I felt violated.’ (Des Moines Register, June 2019)
- Solitary confinement, restraints at issue in Iowa boys school trial – Iowa boys school’s use of restraints, seclusion could devastate students’ psyches, doctors testify (Des Moines Register, June 2019)
- Cruel confinement: Judge halts use of solitary cell for mentally-ill teen; says 17-year-old suffered ‘irreparable harm’ (NY Daily News, June 2019)
- Using Space Well – The New Resource Guide “Not In Isolation” (Corrections Today, May/June 2019)
- Deion Browder: My mom died trying to preserve the legacy of her son. Keeping kids out of solitary will preserve hers (USA Today, April 2019)
- Cook County Sheriff: My Jail Stopped Using Solitary Confinement. Here’s Why (Washington Post, April 2019)
- End solitary confinement for minors, former inmate says. ‘No child should endure the torture I survived’ (NJ.com, April 2019)
- Report on Solitary Confinement in Florida (Southern Poverty Law Center, April 2019)
- Research shows putting young prisoners in solitary confinement is dangerous. Some lawmakers want to ban the practice (Florida Phoenix, Mar. 2019)
- Despite Ban, King County (Seattle) Continues Solitary Confinement for Detained Youth (Seattle Times, Mar. 2019)
- FSU students on front lines of fight against solitary confinement for teens (Tallahassee Democrat, Mar. 2019)
- Family of special-needs boy held in solitary confinement reaches $250K settlement (USA Today, Feb. 2019)
- Op-Ed from Young Person in Solitary: End Solitary in Nebraska (Lincoln Journal, Feb. 2019)
- Canada: Months Locked in a Tiny Box – How Solitary Can Erode Mental Health (CNBC, Feb. 2019)
- Wisconsin Governor: Closing Lincoln Hills May Be Delayed, Funds More Staff (Feb. 2019)
- For Juveniles in Solitary, the Psychological Torture Lingers (Salon, Feb. 2019)
- Boost Education for Youth in Solitary With Reading Material (JJIE, Feb. 2019)
- How Solitary Confinement Drove a Young Inmate to the Brink of Insanity (Chicago Tribune, Jan. 2019)
- New York City Reaches $3.3 Million Settlement With Kalief Browder’s Family (NPR, Jan. 2019)
- California Is Becoming a Model of Juvenile Justice Reform, Thanks to Progressive Legislation (JJIE, Jan. 2019)
- Kalief Browder’s Suicide Brought Changes to Rikers. Now It Has Led to a $3 Million Settlement (New York Times, Jan. 2019)
- Scathing report on conditions for imprisoned youth – Child Advocate says system of incarcerating youth needs ‘massive overhaul’ (Connecticut Mirror, Jan. 2019)
- Report: Pepper Spray, Solitary Confinement Continue At Wisconsin Youth Prisons (NPR Jan. 2019)
- Youth solitary confinement continues despite ongoing criticism (Fox News, Jan. 2019)
- Video from Rick Raemisch, Director of Colorado Dept. of Corrections on Ending Long-term Solitary (Jan. 2019)
- Placing juveniles in solitary confinement doesn’t fix them. In fact, it makes them worse (USA Today, Jan. 2019)
- Charlotte, NC: ‘Trapped in a box’: Sheriff shutters unit that kept teen inmates in solitary confinement (Charlotte Observer, Jan. 2019)
- MacLaren Takes STEPS to Cool Down Young Offenders (Portland Tribune, Jan. 2019)
- Op-Ed: Support Legislation to Restrict Solitary Confinement in NJ Prisons (NJ Spotlight, Jan. 2019)
2018
- King County Council Acknowledges Report on Juvenile Solitary Confinement, report says youth of color face a disproportionate discipline (Seattle Weekly, Dec. 2018)
- Nebraska Editorial: Good to see reduced use of solitary confinement in many NE juvenile centers (Omaha Herald, Dec. 2018)
- Rick Raemisch: Why I Ended the Horror of Long-Term Solitary in Colorado’s Prisons (ACLU Blog Post, Dec. 2018)
- Sheriff to end solitary confinement for teens at Palm Beach County jail under settlement (Palm Beach Post, Nov. 2018)
- Neuroscientists Make a Case Against Solitary Confinement (Scientific American, Nov. 2018)
- What Will the Midterms Mean for Solitary Confinement Reform? (Solitary Watch, Nov. 2018)
- Stopping the cycle of violence in Iowa’s juvenile justice system (Des Moines Register, Oct. 2018)
- I’m A Trans Woman. Solitary Confinement Didn’t Protect Me In Prison (Buzz Feed News, Oct. 2018)
- Sotomayor tells of ‘deeply troubling concern’ about solitary confinement in Supreme Court cert denial (INDALaw, Oct. 2018) (opinion here)
- Colorado DOC Paves The Way Beyond Solitary (Santa Fe New Mexican, Sept. 2018)
- Montana Report: Teen Spent 71 days in Solitary Confinement in Miles City Facility (Billings Gazette, Sept. 2018)
- Stuck on solitary: Efforts to reform prison practices in New Mexico have yet to succeed (New Mexican, Sept. 2018)
- Mecklenburg eases restrictions on teens in jail. It’s not enough, critics say (Charlotte Observer, Sept. 2018)
- Queens Prosecutor: Kalief Browder’s Suicide Wasn’t About Rikers (The Appeal, Sept. 2018)
- Lincoln Hills: Judge OKs deal to eliminate pepper spray, reduce solitary confinement at teen prison (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 2018)
- Youth prison lawsuits cost state millions in settlements (The Daily Cardinal, Sept. 2018)
- More States Need to Limit Solitary Confinement, Which Doesn’t Work (JJIE, Sept. 2018)
- King County (Seattle) Bans Solitary Confinement of Juveniles (Seattle Weekly, Aug. 2018)
- Teens Placed in Solitary Confinement Settle with King County (NPR, Aug. 2018)
- New York City’s Young Inmates Are Held in Isolation Upstate, Despite Ban (New York Times, July 2018)
- Despite Reforms, Children in Jails Are Still Held in Solitary Confinement (Truthout, July 2018)
- Florida Teens in Confinement Suffered Mentally and Emotionally, Lawsuit Claims (Legal Reader, July 2018)
- Mother of Niecey Fennell Speaks Out on Critical Safety Issues at Durham Detention Center (Southern Coalition for Social Justice, June 2018)
- Honduran Youth Speaks About Solitary and Abuse in Facility (San Francisco AP, June 2018)
- Immigrant Youth in Virginia Juvenile Facility Allege Solitary and Abuse (USA Today, June 2018)
- Lawsuit: Palm Beach County Jail Keeps Teens in Solitary for Months Without Care, Education (Palm Beach Post, June 2018), see also.
- Solitary Confinement, Beloved by Lazy Staff, Simply Doesn’t Work (JJIE, June 2018)
- Philadelphia must stop holding children in adult jails | Opinion (Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2018)
- Australian Teenager Held in Solitary Confinement Sues State Government (The Age, June 2018)
- Should Philly keep holding kids in its adult jails? (Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2018)
- 16-Year-Old Rosalyn “Bird” Holmes Spent More Than 40 Days in an Adult Prison Without an Indictment (Teen Vogue, May 2018)
- Iowa paid dearly for holding this troubled teen in isolation for up to 21 hours a day. He’s not the only one being locked away (Des Moines Register, May 2018)
- Solitary Confinement of Juveniles On the Rise in Cook County (Chicago Reporter, May 2018)
- Solitary Confinement Policies Reach Tipping Point, Say Reformers at John Jay (Crime Report, April 2018). Marc Levin, vice-president of criminal justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and one of the co-founders of the conservative Right on Crime movement, said another hurdle to change was the fact that “legislators are deferential to corrections officials.” He described solitary confinement as the government’s “most oppressive deprivation of liberty.”
- Wisconsin Legislature Sets Three-Year Clock on Juvenile Prison Shutdown (Chronicle of Social Change, April 2018)
- Maine: Lawsuit challenges state’s jailing of youths at Long Creek detention center (Press Herald, April 2018)
- Tennessee: Lawmakers push sweeping changes to ‘safekeeping’ law, ban sending teen safekeepers to prison (Tennessean, April 2018)
- Sacramento’s Quest to End Solitary Confinement for Kids (Pacific Standard, April 2018)
- Rikers Doesn’t Put Teens in Solitary. Other New York Jails Do (Marshall Project, April 2018)
- The Unreal Horror of Being Locked in Solitary Confinement When I Was 16 (Vice, March 2018)
- Colorado: Assaults down by nearly half as reforms take hold in Colorado youth lock-up centers (Denver Post, Feb. 2018)
- Suit: Broome County, NY should immediately halt solitary confinement (Press Connects, Feb. 2018). Plaintiffs in class action litigation file a preliminary injunction motion.
- Plan Would Close Lincoln Hills By 2020, Create Local Juvenile Centers In Its Place (Wisconsin Public Radio, Feb. 2018)
- Republicans and Democrats Alike Unveil New Plan For Lincoln Hills (NPR News in Milwaukee, Feb. 2018). Read more on the Lincoln Hills facility and Wisconsin here.
- Tennessee: Too Sick For Jail, But Not Solitary Confinement (Marshall Project, Feb. 2018). 16-year old held in isolation in adult prison. Read more here.
- Canada: Indefinite solitary confinement in prisons unconstitutional: B.C. Supreme Court (Keremos Review, Jan. 2018)
- Scott Walker plans to close troubled Lincoln Hills Youth Prison (Wisconsin State Journal, Jan. 2018)
- Governor announces plan to move juveniles from troubled youth prison (WBAY, Jan. 2018)
2017
- ‘What If This Were Your Kid?’: Young offenders in juvenile detention don’t get the best education. But those held in solitary confinement can go weeks, even months, without any instruction at all (The Atlantic, Dec. 2017)
- Netflix’s Kalief Browder Documentary Available (Radio Times, September 2017)
- Wisconsin Federal judge gives class status to juvenile inmates in Lincoln Hills lawsuit (Journal Sentinel, September 2017)
- New Study Finds That LGBTQ Youth & Those With Disabilities Suffer Most Under Solitary Confinement (The Root, September 2017)
- Ending Solitary for Juveniles: A Goal Grows Closer (Marshall Project August 2017)
- This prison causes heart attacks, blindness and mental illness (The Guardian, August 2017). Nebraska sued over solitary and abuses.
- Wisconsin Lawmaker Proposes Study of Alternatives to Solitary (WI Public Radio, August 2017)
- Upstate County Jails Are Challenged for Sending Juveniles to Solitary (New York Times, July 2017)
- Pedro Hernandez Is Rikers Island’s New Kalief Browder (NY Daily News, July 2017)
- Judge says Wisconsin youth prisons overuse pepper spray (AP News, June 2017)
- North Carolina Last State to Raise the Age for Adult Court for Juveniles (JJIE, June 2017)
- 27 teens kept in solitary confinement on average every day at Lincoln Hills (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 2017)
- I Was a Kid in Solitary Confinement (Alyssa B. in the Annie E. Casey Blog, June 2017)
- The Connecticut Houses Passes Law to Limit Youth Solitary (June 2017)
- Onondaga County (Syracuse) jail agrees to stop solitary confinement of teens for minor offenses (Syracuse.com, June 2017)
- States Show Some Progress 2 Years After Kalief Browder’s Death (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, June 2017)
- Remembering Kalief Browder: The State Of Youth In Adult Jails And Prisons Two-Years After Kalief Browder’s Death (CFYJ Blog & Huff Post, June 2017)
- Solitary Confinement is Widespread and Ineffective (The East Bay Times & Sentencing Project, June 2017)
- Life in The Hole: Solitary Confinement is a Cauldron Meant to Destroy (The Hill, May 2017) Two young advocates share their experiences in solitary confinement as youth
- ICE Detainee Commits Suicide in Solitary Confinement in Georgia (Atlanta News, May 2017)
- Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Nate Balis: Fixing youth corrections in Colorado starts by reducing its use (Colorado Statesman, May 2017)
- Colorado DYC Will Stop Using “Wrap” by July 2018 (Denver Post, April 2017)
- Lawsuit Alleges Solitary Confinement at JJC Violated 11 Year-Old’s Rights (Indiana WSBT, May 2017)
- We Can Help You Reduce Use of Solitary in Your Juvenile Facility (JJIE, April 2017) CJCA Director Mike Dempsey
- Managing Solitude (Corrections Today) CJCA Director Mike Dempsey
- Reducing Solitary Confinement: One Cell At a Time (PBS Frontline, April 2017)
- Why Can’t Philadelphia Stop Holding Kids in Solitary Confinement? (Philly.com, April, 2017)
- Out of Time: The System Failed Kalief Browder, But It Doesn’t Have to Fail Others (Vibe, April 2017) Interview with leaders of Stop Solitary for Kids.
- Mayor Backs Plans to Close Rikers and Open Jails Elsewhere (New York Times, April 2017)
- Buried Alive: Stories From Inside Solitary Confinement, (GQ, March 2017)
- JJDPA Reauthorization Back in The House (Chronicle of Social Change, March 2017) Includes language on isolation
- Invest in Education Instead of Incarceration: Voices (USA Today, March 2017). A youth advocate’s own experience in solitary confinement.
- Multiple articles released about the documentary series TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, produced by Jay-Z. Click here to read more about Kalief and the series.
- The Impressive Top-to-Bottom Makeover of the Massachusetts Juvenile Justice System (Nation Swell 2017)
- Movement to End Juvenile Solitary Gains Ground But Hundreds of Kids Remain in Isolation (Solitary Watch, January 2017)
- U.S. Justice Department Files Brief to Address Solitary Confinement of Juvenile Offenders in New York (Department of Justice Press Release, January 2017)
2016
- Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) Jailers Hold Some Teens in Solitary Confinement. Critics Call That Torture (Charlotte Observer, December 2016)
- North Carolina NAACP: Stop Putting Kids in Solitary Confinement (Charlotte Observer, December 2016)
- Want Safer Youth Detention Centers? Hold Fewer in Solitary, Some States Say (Charlotte Observer, December 2016)
- Deconstructing Flaws In Important New Report On Solitary Confinement by Yale-ASCA (Shadow Proof, November 2016)
- Who Is In Solitary Confinement? (The Marshall Project, November 2016): discusses the 2016 Yale-ASCA Report on the use of solitary in the U.S. and possible policy reforms
- United Nations Special Rapporteur Ends Six Year Term Interview with Juan Méndez – (ACLU News, November 2016) Part 1 and Part 2.
- NPR – Inside Lewisburg Prison: A Choice Between A Violent Cellmate Or Shackles (All Things Considered, October 2016) also published by The Marshall Project
- Venida Browder, Mother of Kalief Browder Dies of a Broken Heart at Age 63 (Huffington Post, October 2016)
- Stop Solitary for Kids: The Movement Grows (Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, October 2016)
- Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, the Weinstein Company, and Spike TV Air Announce Series Addressing Solitary, Kalief Browder (October 2016). View articles from multiple news outlets.
- Meet Nils Melzer, the Next UN Special Rapporteur on Torture (Assoc. for the Prevention of Torture, September 2016)
- Thinking Outside the Box: How a Prison Manager Changed His Mind About Solitary Confinement (Northeastern Law School, Summer 2016)
- OJJDP Data Snapshot Released, Includes Use of Isolation, (OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book, Data Snapshot, August, 2016)
- The Torment of Solitary Confinement (Video) (The Atlantic, August 2016)
- ‘Abu Graihb’ for youths: Juvenile Offenders abused for 6 years in Australian prison, report claims (Washington Post, August 2016)
- Kids in Solitary in Philly Jails: It Was the Worst Time of My Life (Philadelphia Inquirer, August 2016)
- Ending the Use of Isolation in Youth Detention and Correctional Facilities (CJCA Newsletter, July 2016; also printed in the Justice Policy Blog, August, 2016)
- Australia Promises Inquiry After Video Shows Abuse in Juvenile Detention (New York Times, July 2016)
- Australia’s Shame (Four Corners, July 2016)
- Get Juveniles Out of Rikers Island (New York Times Editorial Board, July 21, 2016)
- Kalief Browder Learned How to Commit Suicide on Rikers (The New Yorker, June 2, 2016)
- OJJDP Joins National Campaign To End Solitary Confinement of Youth (OJJDP News, May/June 2016)
- What I Really Want for Father’s Day: Stop Solitary for Kids (Huffington Post, June 2016, Marc Schindler)
- Restrictive Housing for Juveniles: Punitive, Not Rehabilitative, (National Commission on Correctional Healthcare, Correct Care, Spring 2016)
- Casey Supports National Campaign to Stop Solitary for Kids (Annie E. Casey Foundation, May 2016)
- Solitary Torture (Sojourners Magazine, May 2016, Daniel Mendoza)
- Ex-Corrections Chief Calls For Ending Solitary For Youth (The Crime Report, May 2016, Ned Loughran)
- Juvenile Corrections Director: End Youth Solitary Confinement (Indianapolis Star, May 2016, Chris Blessinger)
- Ohio Leads the Way Against Juvenile Solitary Confinement (Circleville Herald, May 2016)
- 6×9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement (The Guardian, May 2016)
- Stop Solitary for Kids (Huffington Post, April 2016, Vincent Schiraldi & Mark Soler)
- Solitary Confinement of Juveniles Disproportionately Impacts LGBTQ Youth (Human Rights Watch, April 2016)
- The Short and Long Game on Ending Juvenile Solitary (Chronicle of Social Change, April 2016, Marc Schindler)
- Abandon Outdated Practice of Juvenile Seclusion: Ohio Director Harvey J. Reed (Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 2016, Harvey Reed). To read more about Ohio’s efforts to reduce solitary, click here.
- It’s Time to End Juvenile Solitary Confinement, Once and For All (Guardian, April 2016, Cory Booker)
- Ohio Implements Path to Safer Facilities (Corrections Today, Sept-Oct. 2015, Director of Ohio Department of Youth Services)
- Closing the Door on Solitary Confinement (National Conference of State Legislatures, April 2016)
- OJJDP Plans to Help States Eliminate Use of Solitary Confinement for Juveniles (JJIE, April 2016)
- Solitary Confinement Is What Destroyed My Son, Grieving Mom of Kalief Browder Says (National Public Radio, April 2016)
- Stop Solitary for Kids Aims to Build on State, Federal Momentum (JJIE, April 2016)
- Stop Solitary for Kids (JJIE, April 2016)
- Recent Wins in Juvenile Justice Provide New Advocacy Opportunities (Child Law Practice, March 2016)
- Reginald Dwayne Betts: Only Once I Thought About Suicide (Yale Law Journal, January 2016)
- Ban on Solitary for Juveniles in Federal Prison Could Ignite State Reforms (JJIE, January 2016)
- 2015 and Earlier
Stop Solitary for Kids: A National Campaign for Change (JJIE, December 2015)
Cruel and All-Too-Usual: A Terrifying Glimpse Into Life in Prison—As a Kid (Huffington Post, July 2015)
Who Runs Rikers? The rule says no solitary for kids. The staff finds a loophole (The Marshall Project, June 2, 2015)
Here’s Kalief Browder’s Heartbreaking Research Paper on Solitary Confinement (HuffPost, June 2015)
Justice Kennedy Denounces Solitary Confinement (The Atlantic, June 2015)
What We Don’t Know About Kalief Browder and Solitary Confinement in the U.S. (Washington Post, June 2015)
John Legend: New York Failed Kalief Browder (Vulture, June 2015)
Kalief Browder, 1993-2015 (New York Times, June 2015)
This Is What Happens When We Lock Children in Solitary Confinement (Mother Jones, January 2015)
Before the Law (New York Times, October 2014, on Kalief Browder)
Solitary to End for Youngest at Rikers Island (New York Times, September 2014)
How Solitary Confinement Hurts the Teenage Brain (The Atlantic, June 2014)
Growing Number of States Moving Away From Solitary Confinement (JJIE, 2014)
Questioning Solitary Confinement for Adolescents at Rikers (PBS Newshour, February 2014)
My Night in Solitary (New York Times, February 2014)
The Director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, Rick Raemisch, spent a night in solitary confinement. He became an advocate for ending solitary.