Eliminating the use of solitary confinement on youth at the state and local levels is a priority for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Robert Listenbee, Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention through 2016, spoke at the Stop Solitary for Kids launch event on April 19, 2016. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention encourages states, localities, and tribal communities to follow the guiding principles and policy recommendations outlined in the Department of Justice Report on Restrictive Housing, which recommend banning solitary confinement for juveniles. OJJDP also supports work by the Center for Coordinated Assistance to States to provide technical assistance to groups of states to improve practices for youth in custody, including eliminating solitary confinement.
- Click here to read OJJDP’s blog post on solitary confinement
- Click here to see OJJDP’s resources and data on solitary confinement
On June 24, 2016, OJJDP hosted the meeting, “Eliminating the Use of Solitary Confinement in Juvenile Justice Facilities: A Multisystemic Approach.” The meeting brought together stakeholders to better understand the use of solitary confinement at the state and local levels, address challenges, and highlight best practices in reducing the use of solitary confinement. Attendee feedback will be used to develop next steps for addressing solitary confinement and to identify how OJJDP can support state and local systems in reforming their own practices. Click here to read OJJDP’s blog post on solitary confinement.