Locked Up and Alone

Article exploring solitary confinement in juvenile facilities against the backdrop of SB 124 (Leno), currently pending in the California Legislature.

AB 388: What Group Home Staff Need to Know

Fact Sheet on AB 388: What Group Home Staff Need to Know. AB 388, which takes effect January 1, 2015, is a new law specifically intended to reduce the frequency of law enforcement involvement and delinquency petitions arising from incidents at group homes.

AB 388: What Youth Advocates Need to Know

Fact Sheet on AB 388: What Youth Advocates Need to Know. AB 388, a new law which takes effect January 1, 2015, is specifically intended to reduce the frequency of law enforcement involvement and delinquency petitions arising from incidents at group homes.

AB 388: What Social Workers Need to Know

Fact sheet for social workers on AB 388: a new law taking effect January 1, 2015, designed to prevent unnecessary policy involvement in group homes and reduce the use of locked detention before trial for foster youth.

Op-Ed: Incarcerating Disturbed Youth Is a Flawed Response

YLC staff attorney Sue Burrell, wrote an op ed piece for the CT Mirror, Incarcerating Disturbed Youth is a Flawed Response (LINK to uploaded article), published September 22, 2014. The piece follows Connecticut’s decisions to lock a transgender teenager, first in an adult women’s facility in Connecticut, and then in a boys’ institution. The piece […]

Press Release

Press Release on DOJ Complaint Over Pepper Spray in San Diego Juvenile Halls

DOJ Complaint

Complaint to the Department of Justice over Pepper Spray and Mistreatment of Youth in San Diego Juvenile Halls.

State Settles Gilliam Lawsuit

Rocky Mountain News article about the settlement in E. R. v. McDonnell, a lawsuit in which the Youth Law Center co-counseled.

Challenging Lenthy Post-Disposition Commitments to Juvenile Halls

The purpose of this memorandum is to address ways to challenge the imposition of lengthy or extended post-disposition confinement, such as 200 or 300 days, in juvenile halls and to provide a resource for attorneys and advocates who are representing juvenile clients in this situation in California.

Ricardo M. – Cases on Commitment to Juvenile Hall

Cases on commitment to juvenile hall in chronological order. Note that the statutes have changed over time – especially W & I § 777, but also the purpose clause (W & I § 202). Also, some focus on what can be done as a probation condition, and others focus on required 726 removal or 730 […]

Sacramento Valley Mirror’s Sex, Drugs and Violence in Tehama Juvenile Hall

YLC Attorney Sue Burrell was interviewed for this four part Sacramento Valley Mirror series that exposed alleged sexual misconduct by Tehama County Juvenile Hall staff with detained juveniles. Sue provided background information about applicable laws and regulations. The four part series ran August 19 to August 29, 2009.

Tommy P.v. Board of County Commissioners Memorandum and Judgment

Tommy P. v. Board of County Commissioners was a state court action to insure that children in detention facilities would have a right to adequate education services during long terms of confinement. After trial, the Superior Court held that children have both federal and state constitutional rights to education during confinement, and ordered Spokane County […]

Tommy P. v. Board of Commissioners First Amended Complaint

Tommy P. v. Board of County Commissioners was a state court action to insure that children in detention facilities would have a right to adequate education services during long terms of confinement. After trial, the Superior Court held that children have both federal and state constitutional rights to education during confinement, and ordered Spokane County […]

Steven L. v. Kern County Settlement Agreement

Steven L. v. Kern County challenged the policies at the Kern County Juvenile Hall and the Kern County Youth Facility regarding access to counsel, mail censorship, and the use of isolation and other discipline. The Youth Law Center entered into a court-approved settlement in May 1991, which resolved all the issues in the case, established […]

Steven L. v. Kern County First Amended Complaint

Steven L. v. Kern County challenged the policies at the Kern County Juvenile Hall and the Kern County Youth Facility regarding access to counsel, mail censorship, and the use of isolation and other discipline. The Youth Law Center entered into a court-approved settlement in May 1991, which resolved all the issues in the case, established […]

Shaw v. San Francisco Settlement Agreement

Shaw v. San Francisco challenged various illegal policies, practices and conditions of confinement at the San Francisco Juvenile Hall (Youth Guidance Center), including an antiquated facility in need of substantial repair and maintenance, fire safety, inadequate staffing and training, disciplinary and grievance procedures, and the failure to provide clean clothes, adequate general or special educational […]

Shaw v. San Francisco Complaint

Shaw v. San Francisco challenged various illegal policies, practices and conditions of confinement at the San Francisco Juvenile Hall (Youth Guidance Center), including an antiquated facility in need of substantial repair and maintenance, fire safety, inadequate staffing and training, disciplinary and grievance procedures, and the failure to provide clean clothes, adequate general or special educational […]

Jane G. v. Solano County Settlement Agreement and Order

Jane G. v. Solano County was filed on behalf of a 17-year-old girl who was placed at Solano County Juvenile Hall while awaiting disposition of misdemeanor charges. The lawsuit challenged a variety of practices at the Juvenile Hall, including using isolation as punishment; forcing children to remain in their cells for days at a time […]

Jane G. v. Solano County Complaint

Jane G. v. Solano County was filed on behalf of a 17-year-old girl who was placed at Solano County Juvenile Hall while awaiting disposition of misdemeanor charges. The lawsuit challenged a variety of practices at the Juvenile Hall, including using isolation as punishment; forcing children to remain in their cells for days at a time […]

Hollingsworth v. Orange County Statement of Decision and Judgment

Hollingsworth v. Orange County was a conditions of confinement case filed in state court. The issues in this case were mail, telephone calls, visitation, access to legal materials, personal property, overcrowding, exercise and recreation, imposition of discipline, and grievance procedures, using soft-tie restraints (stripping children to their underwear and tying them to the four corners […]

Hollingsworth v. Orange County Third Amended Complaint

Hollingsworth v. Orange County was a conditions of confinement case filed in state court. The issues in this case were mail, telephone calls, visitation, access to legal materials, personal property, overcrowding, exercise and recreation, imposition of discipline, and grievance procedures, using soft-tie restraints (stripping children to their underwear and tying them to the four corners […]

G.C. v. Coler Settlement Agreement

G.C. v. Coler was a federal, class action lawsuit brought on behalf of children confined at the Broward County Regional Juvenile Detention Center for inadequate and inappropriate conditions of confinement. Children there were subjected to overcrowding, inappropriate placement, unsanitary and dangerous physical conditions, lack of security, lack of adequate staff, abusive punishment including isolation and […]

G.C. v. Coler Second Amended Complaint

G.C. v. Coler was a federal, class action lawsuit brought on behalf of children confined at the Broward County Regional Juvenile Detention Center for inadequate and inappropriate conditions of confinement. Children there were subjected to overcrowding, inappropriate placement, unsanitary and dangerous physical conditions, lack of security, lack of adequate staff, abusive punishment including isolation and […]

E.R. v. McDonnell Settlement Agreement and Order

E.R. v. McDonnell, was filed in December 1995, on behalf of two children confined in the Phillip B. Gilliam Youth Services Center against officials in the Colorado Department of Human Services, the Division of Youth Services, and the Denver Public School District. The complaint alleged unconstitutional overcrowding; problems with safety, health and sanitation; deficiencies in […]

E.R. v. McDonnell First Amended Complaint

E.R. v. McDonnell, was filed in December 1995, on behalf of two children confined in the Phillip B. Gilliam Youth Services Center against officials in the Colorado Department of Human Services, the Division of Youth Services, and the Denver Public School District. The complaint alleged unconstitutional overcrowding; problems with safety, health and sanitation; deficiencies in […]

Doe v. Younger Settlement Agreement

Doe v. Younger challenged the conditions of confinement for juveniles at the Kenton County Detention Center as well as the illegal confinement of juveniles in sight and sound of adult offenders and the illegal detention of status offenders. The JJDPA claims were later dropped from the litigation when Kentucky withdrew from the Act. A tentative […]

Doe v. Younger Amended Complaint

Doe v. Younger challenged the conditions of confinement for juveniles at the Kenton County Detention Center as well as the illegal confinement of juveniles in sight and sound of adult offenders and the illegal detention of status offenders. The JJDPA claims were later dropped from the litigation when Kentucky withdrew from the Act. A tentative […]

Doe v. Foti Consent Decree

Doe v. Foti was a civil rights class action challenging conditions of confinement for juveniles in the Conchetta Facility, Orleans Parish Prison, in New Orleans, and the policies and practices of defendants of confining juveniles in that Detention Center. Specific allegations included an inadequate educational program consisting of at best five hours of school per […]

Doe v. Foti Complaint

Doe v. Foti was a civil rights class action challenging conditions of confinement for juveniles in the Conchetta Facility, Orleans Parish Prison, in New Orleans, and the policies and practices of defendants of confining juveniles in that Detention Center. Specific allegations included an inadequate educational program consisting of at best five hours of school per […]

D.J.R. v. Christean Consent Decree

D.J.R. v. Christean was a federal civil rights class action which challenged the use of excessive and unnecessary ‘preventive’ pretrial detention of children in the Salt Lake County Detention Center. The Detention Center’s records revealed that less than five percent of the 2,200 children detained during 1982 were charged with serious crimes against persons, and […]

Clarence M. v. Yakima Parital Consent Judgment

Clarence M. v. Yakima was a civil rights action for declaratory judgment, permanent injunction, damages and other relief, challenging the conditions of confinement at the Yakima County Detention Facility. Plaintiffs alleged that they were subjected to arbitrary discipline, isolation in a small, dark and unventilated room for up to 24 hours for punishment, showers within […]

Clarence M. v. Yakima Amended Complaint

Clarence M. v. Yakima was a civil rights action for declaratory judgment, permanent injunction, damages and other relief, challenging the conditions of confinement at the Yakima County Detention Facility. Plaintiffs alleged that they were subjected to arbitrary discipline, isolation in a small, dark and unventilated room for up to 24 hours for punishment, showers within […]

Anthony C. v. Pima County Stipulation and Agreement

Anthony C. v. Pima County was filed in 1982 to challenge a number of practices at the Pima County Detention Center in Tucson. These included use of leather restraints, inadequate treatment programs, mail censorship, restrictions on visitation, overcrowding, and failure to provide 24-hour detention hearings. After protracted negotiations, local officials entered into a consent decree […]

Working Together: Building Local Monitoring Capacity for Juvenile Detention Centers

This report describes a project undertaken when the California Legislature defunded state inspections of juvenile defender centers as part of its 1992 budget negotiations. The legislation substituted a “self inspection” process that called for local jurisdictions to monitor themselves. The Annie E. Casey Foundation provided funding to YLC to provide training on how to do […]

Anthony C. v. Pima County Complaint

Anthony C. v. Pima County was filed in 1982 to challenge a number of practices at the Pima County Detention Center in Tucson. These included use of leather restraints, inadequate treatment programs, mail censorship, restrictions on visitation, overcrowding, and failure to provide 24-hour detention hearings. After protracted negotiations, local officials entered into a consent decree […]

Aguilar v. Mitchell Complaint

Aguilar v. Mitchell was a federal court action involving conditions of confinement of children in the detention center in Walla Walla. At the trial, experts in the areas of child psychiatry, adolescent medicine, institutional program planning, environmental engineering, and architecture testified concerning the harmful effects of confining children for 24 hours a day in dirty, […]

Energy Efficient Strategies for Defenders to Improve Conditions for Clents in Custody

This is a short discussion of strategies defenders may use to address individual client situations as well as systemic issues. While people often think that conditions advocacy necessarily implicates litigation, the truth is that many problems can be resolved quickly and effectively through the straightforward mechanisms outlined below. These strategies are designed to have maximum […]

The Human Impact of Crowding in Juvenile Detention

This article explores the human impact of crowding as actually observed in detention centers around the country through the eyes of juvenile advocates. It paints a dismal portrait of a system which is meant to humanely care for youth and shows how crowding and its effects are exacerbated by inappropriate detention decisions, systemic inefficiencies, and […]