LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A bill that would curtail use of juvenile room confinement raised questions during a Nebraska legislative hearing.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the measure would ban solitary confinement except when necessary to eliminate immediate risk of harm.
Juliet Summers of Voices for Children in Nebraska testified Wednesday that the psychological effects of solitary confinement are magnified for children, whose brains are still developing.
But several people who work at detention and youth treatment centers testified against the bill.
Ralph Healey from the Kearney Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation Center says he’s concerned about the difficult youth sent to Kearney and the injuries suffered by staff from youth assaults. He says that unless the measure is modified to help protect the staff, it will cause a lot of trouble.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
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