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King County jail still puts teens in solitary confinement despite ban

The King County Council is frustrated that some teens are still being put in solitary confinement a year and a half after the council passed an ordinance banning the practice in local jails. At a briefing, council members vented their frustration to the staff of King County Executive Dow Constantine. A report from an independent monitor revealed that, in the past six months, teens were subject to solitary confinement 15 times in King County. This was in the adult jails in the county and involved 18- or 19-year-olds who were transferred from youth detention when they turned 18.

Council member Rod Dombowski, who sponsored the original ordinance, repeatedly asked Shannon Braddock, deputy chief of staff for the King County executive, to explain why the county wasn't enforcing the ban.

"This ordinance is about adults following the rules that we pass into law and we're not doing it," Dombowski said.

Braddock responded that implementing the ban was complicated, particularly in the adult jail where special provisions had to be developed for people under 21. Dombowski said if the county executive staff needed more time to comply, they should have asked for it earlier.

The council said they will continue to monitor the situation.

Research shows solitary confinment can be particularly traumatic for teens because their brains are still developing and don't reach maturity until about age 25.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.