Vermont

In August 2019 U.S. District Judge Geoffrey Crawford issued a preliminary injunction requiring the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Colchester, VT to reduce the use of solitary confinement and restraints. Specifically, the court ordered the Vermont Department for Children and Families, which operates the facility, to develop a new seclusion policy that “greatly limits the practice of isolating youth” and a “detailed policy for treating youth experiencing severe mental health symptoms.” Disability Rights Vermont sued the Department in June 2019, alleging that youth at Woodside were held in dangerous conditions. A previous lawsuit file by the Vermont Defender General’s Office’s in April 2019 alleged that the facility used dangerous and intentionally painful restraint techniques. That suit, filed on behalf of an unnamed 17-year-old, was dismissed after the youth was discharged from Woodside.

Articles

Federal Lawsuit Alleges ‘Dangerous Conditions’ For Children Held At Woodside (June 2019)

Court Orders Woodside Juvenile Facility To Change Seclusion And Restraint Policies (Aug. 2019)