New Study Finds That LGBTQ Youths and Youths With Disabilities Suffer Most Under Solitary Confinement

Recently, one of the oldest nonprofit, public interest law firms for children, Juvenile Law Center, released a critical report, “Unlocking Youth,” with key findings on the use of solitary confinement at juvenile facilities nationally.

The report found that despite progress at the federal level and in a growing number of states, solitary confinement of youths remains widespread (two-thirds of the public defenders surveyed reported that their clients spent time in “punitive segregation”), with a disproportionate impact on youths of color, girls, LGBTQ youths and young people with disabilities (and any intersection thereof) because these populations are overrepresented in the criminal-justice system, and there are few to no resources for them.