A youth correctional facility in Connecticut will no longer use solitary isolation to discipline children.
The U.S. Justice Department has reached an agreement with the state Department of Correction after an investigation of the Manson Youth Institution, an adult facility that houses children located in Cheshire.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the department’s Civil Rights Division said that nationally, more than 2,000 children each year are held in jails and prisons designed for adults.
‘We are committed to protecting children's constitutional and federal rights throughout the criminal and juvenile justice systems,” Clarke said.
Per the agreement, Manson will eliminate the use of disciplinary isolation to manage the behavior of children in its custody.
The investigation began in 2019 after reports of the use of solitary confinement for children under the age of 18 and other failings in treatment. This launched an investigation by the state. The Office of the Child Advocate published a report outlining cases of children in isolation, the use of unnecessary or excessive use of physical restraint, and the inability to provide adequate mental health services.
In December 2021, the U.S. Justice Department began its investigation after it found “reasonable cause” to prove conditions for children at Mason violated the Eighth and 14th Amendments and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Clarke said adult facilities fail to provide children with the age-appropriate services and care essential to development. She said that includes educational and mental health services which are required by law. They are needed to become healthy and productive adults.
“We know that isolation can cause real harm to children — increasing risk of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide — because their brains are still developing and they lack adequate coping mechanisms,” Clarke said.
Christina Quaranta is the executive director of the Connecticut Justice Alliance. In an interview with WSHU, Quaranta said she is glad to see the Connecticut Department of Correction is being held accountable for its harmful and outdated practices.
“While this agreement signals progress, it is only the beginning. Connecticut must go further to dismantle the systems that criminalize and dehumanize youth,” Quaranta said. “We must replace punitive approaches with restorative and rehabilitative practices and address the root causes of behavior and crime.”
Quaranta said isolation has proven to inflict mental and emotional harm on children, whose brains are still developing.
“Incarcerating someone during that time, taking them out of all the societal norms, taking them away from family and other connections puts them at a disadvantage. Even if it’s for a short period of time,” Quaranta said
Quaranta said the policies have disproportionately targeted Black and Brown children, continuing a systematic cycle of injustice.
“We ask that all young adult people be removed from adult prison, they should not be there in the first place. We still have concerns about the follow through in terms of delivering quality mental health services to the young men there,” Quaranta said
Manson plans on “phasing out disciplinary isolation for children” and is required to conduct thorough mental health assessments and provide appropriate treatment for children. The institution must also provide adequate special education services for children with disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Manson will now have a program that will include a daily schedule of age-appropriate, structured activities. It plans to implement a comprehensive behavior management program and provide a “skills-based curriculum to help children regulate their own behaviors.”
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut said the department looks forward to our ongoing collaboration as the Connecticut Department of Correction implements these reforms.
“We commend the Connecticut Department of Correction for its commitment to eliminate harmful disciplinary isolation practices and adopt age-appropriate treatment and services for children at Manson,” Avery said.
