[New York] V.W. v. Conway – U.S. Statement of Interest 

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in a federal class action lawsuit challenging the use of solitary confinement for 16- and 17-year-old youth in custody, including youth with disabilities.
Calling for the federal district court to consider Supreme Court jurisprudence and growing scientific research on adolescent development, the DOJ asserts, “Juveniles are psychologically more vulnerable than adults. Their brains are still developing, ‘making their time spent in solitary confinement even more difficult and the developmental, psychological, and physical damage more comprehensive and lasting.’”