DOJ Statement of Interest in V.W. v. Conway

From the introduction:

“Last year, the Department of Justice ended the practice of allowing the use of solitary confinement for juveniles in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Plaintiffs’ case involves precisely this practice for juveniles in the custody of a county law enforcement agency. Plaintiffs allege that 16- and 17-year-old juvenile offenders, including those with disabilities, are subjected to solitary confinement in the Onondaga County Justice Center. Plaintiffs assert that this confinement denies them meaningful human contact, educational programming, and mental health services, and that it violates federal law. The United States submits this Statement of Interest to draw the Court’s attention to relevant case law and to contemporary research regarding juveniles and solitary confinement.”