Solitary outlawed for young people
Posted: 24 July 2003 | Subscribe Online
Prisons can no longer put young people in solitary confinement as
punishment.
It follows a test case brought to the High Court by the Howard
League for Penal Reform on behalf of a 17-year-old boy who has been
in prison for almost two years including two spells in
solitary.
The charity argued that the use of segregation ran contrary to
article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and that child
protection measures fell short of prison service standards.
"If a parent locked up their child in solitary for days it would be
child abuse," said Frances Crook, director of the Howard League.
"The state must accept its responsibilities when acting in a
parental role."
