Every day across the United States, children are locked in solitary confinement—isolated for 22 to 24 hours a day in small cells, often for minor infractions or for their own “protection.” This inhumane practice continues in more than half of U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, despite mounting evidence that solitary confinement causes lasting psychological harm to young people.

Research shows that solitary confinement can lead to anxiety, depression, hallucinations, self-harm, and suicide, with youth in solitary being more than 17 times more likely to attempt suicide than those in general population. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has condemned the practice, calling it inappropriate and damaging for developing brains. Children need connection, education, and rehabilitation—not isolation and trauma.

Solitary confinement doesn’t make our communities safer. It breaks children who are already in crisis and strips them of the tools they need to heal and grow. We’re calling on lawmakers, juvenile justice officials, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to immediately ban solitary confinement for all youth across the state.

No child should suffer alone in a cell. It’s time to end juvenile solitary confinement—now.