The Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved an amended ordinance Monday, Aug. 24, prohibiting the use of solitary confinement for discipline, punishment or retaliation at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center at 3420 Old Getwell Road.
Solitary confinement can only be used now at the youth detention facility as a temporary measure to prevent immediate harm. Children can be detained for just two hours at a time for a total of six hours a day. Corrections officers are also required to perform a face-to-face check on youth in lockdown every 15 minutes.
“Staff shall not use seclusion for discipline, punishment, administrative convenience, retaliation, staffing shortages or reasons other than a temporary response to behavior that threatens immediate harm to a youth or others,” according to the updated law, meant to protect detained children while addressing the negative effects of extended isolation. Mental and behavioral impacts range from anxiety, depression and cognitive decline to social regression, aggressive behavior and apathy. And physical changes can include sleep disturbances and muscle atrophy.
Still, seclusion can also be used to prevent property damage or an intended escape. Other limited uses include containing the spread of illness or cleaning a room where youth are housed or assigned.
Suicide attempts and crisis calls spiked at the the youth detention facility after staff began to rely more on extended isolation.
Some youth at the facility, which includes 114 boys’ rooms and 21 rooms for girls, said worker shortages were often the reason for isolation – not bad behavior. The detention center employs about 70 staff members, including 18 teachers, but needs a total of 148. Current staffing levels fail to meet the state requirement of one officer for every eight children during daytime hours.
In late 2025, after reports emerged that children as young as 13 were kept in isolation cells – some for 23 hours a day, control of the facility shifted to the Division of Corrections of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Along with protecting the mental and physical health of the children housed at the facility, the ordinance also aims to ensure that all youth – including those in isolation – benefit from “restorative practices,” such as accredited education programs, daily group activities and family support.
“Youth placed in seclusion shall be offered reasonable access to all services and shall be engaged in regularly scheduled programming, such as school, unless they are an immediate threat to others,” the ordinance reads.
The agenda item was sponsored by commissioners Erika Sugarmon, Charlie Caswell, Henri Brooks and Britney Thornton. The amended ordinance passed by a 10-0 vote.
