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Report: Ohio Is Over-Using Solitary Confinement For Mentally Ill Teens
By: WOUB Staff Writer
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Mother Jones, a nonprofit news organization, reported Thursday on what the state of Ohio does to some mentally ill boys who find themselves in juvenile correctional facilities in the state. The report, which cites official state departments and agencies, details the extent of the treatment of those who need mental help.
An Ohio juvenile correctional facility placed a child, who was on suicide watch and psychiatric medication, in solitary confinement for 1,964 hours between April and September of last year, according to the Department of Justice. Referred to as "K.R." in court documents, the boy's longest uninterrupted stretch of solitary confinement lasted about 19 days. And his experience isn't unique: Four juvenile correctional facilities in Ohio imposed almost 60,000 hours of solitary confinement on 229 boys with mental-health needs in the second half of 2013, according to the government agency.
The report cites a March 12 lawsuit against the state of Ohio and Gov. John Kasich, among others.
The full Mother Jones report is called "'He Had Fresh Head Injuries': What Ohio Has Been Doing to Mentally Ill Boys."