Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after President Barack Obama announced executive action regarding solitary confinement in federal facilities:
“The solitary confinement of juveniles -- of children -- is a cruel and inhumane practice that has no place in American life. It can inflict lasting psychological and physical harm and does nothing to help adolescents become productive members of society or make our communities safer.
“The President's announcement is a step forward in restoring dignity to our criminal justice system and improving the way it treats children and nonviolent offenders. Congress must now act to make the ban on juvenile solitary confinement a permanent part of federal law.”
In August, Booker introduced the bipartisan MERCY Act, legislation that would prohibit the solitary confinement of juveniles tried in the federal system and held in pretrial and juvenile detention facilities. Booker also authored a piece on Medium.com discussing the legislation.
