Improvements coming to juvenile detention centers

Improvements coming to juvenile detention centers
Improvements coming to juvenile detention centers

Improvements coming to juvenile detention centers

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A federal judge is reviewing a plan to improve conditions at juvenile detention centers in Illinois after the state Department of Juvenile Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois worked out the joint plan. It came out of an ACLU lawsuit, alleging the Department that conditions at the juvenile centers violated the Constitution and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. If the judge OKs the plan, there will be a number of changes at the centers, including a required five-hour school day, mental health treatment, and a ban on the use of solitary confinement for discipline. Today, we have Adam Schwartz, the ACLU’s leader lawyer on this case, to discuss the latest developments. Photo: Flickr/circulating