Not in Isolation: How to Reduce Room Confinement While Increasing Safety in Youth Facilities

Type
Paper/Research
Year published
2019
Accession number

25767

Title

Not in Isolation: How to Reduce Room Confinement While Increasing Safety in Youth Facilities

Organization

Stop Solitary for Kids Campaign

Abstract

This report from the national Stop Solitary for Kids campaign is a practical guide for youth justice system administrators, supervisors, staff, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates to begin the process of safely reducing room confinement in their juvenile and adult facilities. It provides examples of this process undertaken by three state agencies and one county sheriff’s department: Colorado Division of Youth Services, Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, Oregon Youth Authority, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Department in Memphis, Tennessee. Data from these jurisdictions demonstrate that reducing room confinement is possible without increasing violence in a facility. Moreover, shifting youth justice facility practices away from punitive isolation and towards models that focus on emotional regulation and behavioral skills helps youth successfully transition back into their communities. (author abstract modified)

Availability details

Available for free download on the Stop Solitary for Kids website at: http://www.stopsolitaryforkids.org/not-in-isolation/