Beyond the Walls: Improving Conditions of Confinement for Youth in Custody

Each of the following areas, discussed in detail in the report, contains ideas that could be used to improve the conditions of youth in custody: (1) Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act protects the civil rights of all institutionalized persons and could be useful in eliminating civil rights abuses in juvenile facilities; (2) Ombudsman Programs address individual complaints of corrupt or unlawful acts by public officials and could be a forum for monitoring conditions in juvenile facilities; (3) Protection and Advocacy Systems to monitor services for persons with mental health and other disabilities; (4) Challenging agency procedures or behavior under the Administrative Procedures Act may be another way to address deficiencies; and (5) Self-assessment can be encouraged as a way to remedy situations before they lead to legal action. Table, notes, appendixes