The Justice Department has filed a statement of interest in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of solitary confinement for children in juvenile justice settings. The case, J.B.H. v. Knox County, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois and involves allegations against the Mary Davis Detention Home (MDH) in Knox County, Illinois.
The department's statement highlights that the 14th Amendment protects children from excessive isolation in both juvenile and adult correctional facilities. It emphasizes that isolation can severely harm children and that lack of access to essential services during isolation worsens this harm.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated, “The federal government recognizes that children are developmentally and constitutionally different than adults and that excessive isolation causes children unique and significant harm.” She added that harmful conditions undermine the purpose of juvenile justice, which is to rehabilitate children so they can return as productive citizens.
Plaintiffs allege MDH subjects children, including those with mental health issues or trauma histories, to prolonged harmful isolation violating constitutional rights. They claim MDH deprives isolated children of basic needs like education, mental health services, sleep, and human contact.
Over the past year, the Justice Department has been active in addressing similar issues elsewhere. It secured a settlement with Connecticut regarding conditions at Manson Youth Institution and issued findings on five facilities in Texas while opening an investigation into nine facilities in Kentucky.
Further information about these efforts by the Civil Rights Division is available on their website. Complaints about unlawful confinement practices can be reported through their internet portal.