King County Council votes to ban solitary confinement for minors in detention centers

SEATTLE -- The  King County Council voted Monday to ban solitary confinement for minors in detention.

“We are working hard to improve our juvenile justice system in King County. We know from scientific research that solitary confinement can permanently harm young people so I am pleased that we are now ending this harmful practice,” Council Vice Chair Rod Dembowski said.

The legislation also requires the county to provide incarcerated youths with "adequate educational resources."

Most youths detained by the county are held at the King County Juvenile Detention Center in Seattle. Some young people who have been charged as adults are housed at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent or, occasionally, at the King County Correctional Facility. Those youth are separated from the adult population at these facilities, but solitary confinement/isolation has also been used for these young offenders where it is not at the Youth Services Center.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has noted that even short periods of isolation often have serious long-term mental health impacts effects on juveniles, and research shows that solitary confinement does not reduce behavioral incidents and may increase aggressive or violent behavior by youth.