Children in New York Juvenile Detention Faced Solitary Confinement

A recent lawsuit claims that children in a New York juvenile detention center were subjected to solitary confinement, sometimes for up to 24 hours daily, due to minor infractions and staffing shortages. Allegations include a lack of fresh water and even basic facilities like toilets.

The class action suit targets five facilities managed by the state’s Department of Children and Family Services (OCFS), asserting that these centers “routinely and unlawfully” impose severe punishments. This includes situations where a 12-year-old was allegedly kept “for long periods in a cramped, barren cell.”

Many of these “violations” stemmed from behavioral issues associated with diagnosed disorders, as stated in the lawsuit. Some children reportedly expressed to guards that they’d prefer to end their lives rather than receive care from OCFS.

Even though there is a statewide ban on solitary confinement for juveniles in adult facilities, the lawsuit claims that periods of confinement can last from weeks to, at times, months.

“OCFS must immediately cease these barbaric, illegal, and inhumane actions,” stated Dawn Mitchell, a Juvenile Rights Attorney at Legal Aid, emphasizing the urgent need for adequate care that addresses hygiene, education, and rehabilitation.

Jeremy Creelan from the law firm Jenner & Block, involved in filing the suit, remarked that the long-term damage from solitary confinement requires immediate legal action to reform how vulnerable youth are treated.

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, highlights experiences from five plaintiffs, all young Black men from New York City, detailing similar distressing encounters in state facilities.

A 17-year-old named Isaac, who struggles with PTSD, reportedly exhibited progress in his studies while in pretrial detention in Brooklyn, earning praise for his behavior. However, once placed in the OCFS facility in Goshen, he faced repeated stints in solitary confinement, which allegedly undermined his rehabilitation efforts.

Isaac experienced a month-long lockdown in February and has since reportedly been in solitary confinement for at least 20 hours each day. His mother’s concerns about his deteriorating mental health went unaddressed, according to the lawsuit.

Efforts by Isaac to file a formal complaint were reportedly thwarted by bureaucratic hurdles, making it feel nearly impossible for him to voice his grievances.

Christopher, a 20-year-old juvenile offender, expressed a desire to be transferred back to Rikers, where he at least had access to education and basic facilities, claiming the conditions at Goshen were far worse. In a complaint, his mother noted that he had previously attempted suicide and requested his transfer to an adult facility, arguing that solitary confinement is prohibited there.

Another youth shared how experiences at different facilities left him with a profound sense of hopelessness, despite his attempts to cope through meditation and reading.

According to OCFS’s website, the organization’s objective is to prevent violence and neglect against children. However, the lawsuit paints a starkly different picture of the five “secure facilities.” Frequent lockdowns, often due to staffing shortages, meant that some youth were confined to cells without proper sanitation and resorted to using food containers and bottles when staff did not respond.

The suit notes that OCFS has been frequently criticized for inadequate staffing and terrible conditions, referring to a letter from a staff union that described “deeply disturbing reports” about chronic understaffing and essential program reductions.

The letter emphasized the unconscionable nature of the conditions faced by predominantly Black and Brown youth, stating that “both staff and residents are losing hope.”

As of now, state officials have not commented on the allegations made in the lawsuit.