APA RESOLUTION Opposing Involuntary Individual Isolation of Youth in Juvenile Justice Settings

In February 2024, the American Psychological Association released a resolution detailing evidence-based recommendations to limit and eventually eliminate the use of solitary confinement on youth. Key recommendations include prohibiting solitary confinement except under exigent circumstances, the duration of which generally should not exceed four hours, and prioritizing evidence-based strategies that promote positive youth development in lieu of subjecting youth to solitary confinement. This resolution provides youth defense advocates with an evidence-based tool to challenge state and local policies and practices that subject youth to the harms of incarceration, especially as they relate to isolation, time outs, room placements, and other forms of solitary confinement.