For too long, the “lock ’em up” mentality ruled, and children who crossed the law were locked up in facilities that offered little teaching and lots of trauma.

In addition to widespread physical and sexual abuse in institutions, kids are also subject to body cavity searches, long periods of being physically restrained, strip searches, and solitary confinement. More than half of suicides in juvenile detention take place during solitary confinement, and those types of searches can trigger young people who have experienced sexual abuse.

This is systemic taxpayer-funded child abuse and neglect.

These are awful ways to treat any child, and grossly counter-productive if you want institutionalized children and teens to make positive life choices when they’re released.

Fortunately, there is bipartisan support to move Pennsylvania in the direction of protecting kids in the juvenile justice system from harm and trauma. A PA House Committee this week passed legislation sponsored by Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester) that will stamp out the rampant abuse at youth detention centers.

HB 1600 details how staff can use strip and cavity searches, restraints, and solitary confinement. To quote the bill, these activities, “may not be used for punishment, retaliation or administrative convenience, as a result of staffing shortages or for any reason other than securing the immediate physical safety of a youth.” It’s disturbing that these guidelines are not already in law and – more importantly – that they even need to be.

In addition, HB 1600 rachets up the work of the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) to keep kids safe. DHS must conduct announced and unannounced visits to these youth jails and has the explicit okay to interview staff and children, review records, and shut down or stop funding abusive facilities.

Better yet, the bill explicitly emphasizes the importance of not locking kids up and keeping them home where they can learn from and apologize for their mistakes. Community-based, restorative justice programs provide tools for better decision making, anger management, and rebuilding trust. This cost-saving approach invests in healing communities, thus making our neighborhoods safer and our children successful.

As members of the Youth Safety Coalition, we’re proud of the work we’ve done to build bipartisan support and momentum for HB 1600. Anyone can be a member of the Coalition and join in on this important work! Contact Stefanie Arbutina at stefaniea@childrenfirstpa.org to learn more.