Growing Up Locked Down - Youth in Solitary Confinement in Jails and Prisons Across the United States
Read the Report: Growing Up Locked Down (PDF, 1.84 MB) »
Every day, in jails and prisons across the United States, young people under the age of 18 are held in solitary confinement. They spend 22 or more hours each day alone, usually in a small cell behind a solid steel door, completely isolated both physically and socially, often for days, weeks, or even months on end. Sometimes there is a window allowing natural light to enter or a view of the world outside cell walls. Sometimes it is possible to communicate by yelling to other inmates, with voices distorted, reverberating against concrete and metal. Occasionally, they get a book or bible, and if they are lucky, study materials. But inside this cramped space, few contours distinguish one hour, one day, week, or one month, from the next.
A new report from the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, “Growing Up Locked Down: Youth in Solitary Confinement in Jails and Prisons Across the United States,” is based on interviews and correspondence with more than 125 young people in 19 states who spent time in solitary confinement while under age 18 as well as with jail and/or prison officials in 10 states.
Watch a video featuring young people who have been locked in solitary:
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Explore multimedia including maps showing how youth are treated in the criminal justice system in your state:
Watch a panel of experts and officials discuss the use of solitary confinement for youth in New York’s facilities:
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Please note that by playing this clip You Tube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Please see You Tube's privacy statement on their website and Google's privacy statement on theirs to learn more. To view the ACLU's privacy statement, click here.
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Audio: Growing Up Locked Down
Kendell Davis' Story »
