After learning about how youth prisoners are treated in American prisons, I believe there are a few changes that could be made to improve the system, pertaining to solitary confinement. First of all, there is no reason to have youth and adult convicts in the same prison. There should be two separate facilities, one for children and one for adults. These two types of prisoners should never come in contact with each other unless it is a supervised visit. Once the two facilities are distinguishable from one another, I think that the use of solitary confinement should be dependent on the severity of their crime. The only time a youth should be put in solitary is if they were convicted of murder, rape or any charge that would keep them imprisoned for over 25 years. Even in these cases, the length of confinement should never exceed two weeks. These people deserve punishment but also need a chance to be rehabilitated. However, children with mental illness should never be put in solitary. These people must be given help so that they can at least understand their crime and understand why they are being punished. These people should be treated with care so that they can gain more sufficient morals so that when they are released they can help the world instead of hurting it even more. Solitary confinement use on the youth should not be a common practice, but should be used only in specific cases. When the need for solitary confinement presents itself, the time should be limited to two weeks at most. Juvenile detention centers should be a place to help troubled youth grow into mature adults that view the world in a positive light, not a place that makes them angry with the world and all its inhabitants. If these kids are angry when they leave the prison, who is to say they will not return later in life due to an ever harsher crime. Our prison system needs to help the youth instead of hurting them with solitary confinement.
Sincerely,
Concerned Student
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