Children at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center in Benton, Illinois are being subjected to inhumane conditions, including solitary confinement, as per a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois.
The lawsuit alleges that children as young as 11 are confined to cells the size of parking spaces for up to 23 hours a day, with fluorescent lights that never turn off. The young detainees must seek staff permission to flush the toilet and can go days or weeks without access to schoolwork. Furthermore, black mold grows on the walls, and there is a lack of mental health professionals at the facility.
The ACLU's lawsuit, filed on June 30, seeks a court order mandating immediate improvements to the conditions at the facility, arguing that they violate the children's rights under the 14th Amendment. Kevin Fee, the lead lawyer on the case, described the conditions as "inhumane to the level of being unspeakable" and emphasized that no child should be subjected to such treatment.
“These are not conditions that anybody, let alone any child, should be subjected to. The idea that children would spend any portion of their childhood locked in solitary confinement is an egregious abuse,” Fee said.
Solitary confinement has been increasingly recognized as harmful, particularly for children, and efforts have been made to improve conditions in juvenile detention centers across the United States. Clinical and forensic psychologist Apryl Alexander, who works with detained youth, expressed concern over the situation at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center, emphasizing that the juvenile legal system should focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment.
“These are youth who are capable of change — we recognize that developmentally and personally. And so we should be treating them as such,” Alexander emphasized.
The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice banned the use of solitary confinement for youth in 2015. Additionally, Governor J.B. Pritzker recently signed legislation prohibiting its use on young detainees in detention centers, except in cases of preventing immediate physical harm. This law will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Alexander highlighted that the majority of suicides in detention facilities occur when individuals are in solitary confinement. The psychological impact of such conditions can be particularly devastating for young people, who may already have experienced trauma before being detained.
At the time of reporting, neither the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center nor the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice had provided a comment in response to the allegations made by the ACLU.
The lawsuit shines a light on the urgent need to address the conditions and treatment of children in the juvenile justice system, emphasizing the importance of ensuring their well-being, rehabilitation, and protection of their rights.
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