A lawsuit filed Thursday seeks to end the practice of keeping Florida juveniles in solitary confinement, which the plaintiffs called “inconsistent with evolving standards of decency in a civilized society.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida Legal Services and Florida Justice Institute filed the federal lawsuit against the the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and its secretary, Simone Marstiller.
The lawsuit alleges that department officials at juvenile detention centers isolate kids for minor acts such as horseplay, running or peeling paint off their wall. When in confinement, children are allowed out of the room only to shower, the litigation states. In some instances, the suit says, feces were smeared on the walls and bugs infested room and detainees had to yell or bang on the doors to get the attention of guards.
Read more at our news partner the Miami Herald.