While we all adjust to Governor Evers’ Safer at Home Order, we must cope with the daily restrictions on our movement and increased anxiety about the safety of our families, friends, and colleagues. At the same time, there are hundreds of confined youth in our juvenile justice system who are grappling with the unique challenges that this health crisis has presented. 

Research indicates that incarcerated populations are most at risk during a public health crisis. COVID-19 spreads quickly in enclosed spaces such as cruise ships and nursing homes and will spread quickly in detention centers, prisons, and jails. Contagious viruses such as COVID-19 will spread much faster in detention centers and prisons because incarcerated youth are in close quarters and sometimes in unsanitary conditions.

In confinement, youth are not able to participate in proactive measures to keep themselves safe, such as frequently washing hands, practicing social distancing, and sanitizing personal spaces. Infection control is a challenge in these situations; incarcerated youth are often in large congregate and communal settings. Even if youth are in individual cells, ventilation is often inadequate. These are just a few of the immediate concerns posed by current public health crisis related to youth in confinement.

However, it is critical to note that under normal circumstances, youth incarceration is emotionally, mentally, and physically harmful for children and their families. The incarceration experience causes fear and isolation for youth who have most likely already experienced trauma throughout their short lives. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely trigger greater anxiety for incarcerated youth for the following reasons:

• Many youth who are incarcerated struggle with underlying mental health needs and cognitive or learning challenges. They may have difficulty understanding the nature of the emergency that the pandemic presents; 
• Youth typically worry about the health and safety of their families while they are incarcerated. The worry over whether their loved ones will fall ill and die may become overwhelming.  
• Youth have little control in confinement – they may not be able to keep themselves safe by social distancing or follow sanitizing protocols due to conditions within the facility. Administrative (or solitary) confinement may be the only form of medical quarantine that is available.  
• Already limited contact with family, may be more so due to quarantine or illness.  Trusted staff that they turn to for support may be unavailable due to social distancing, quarantine, or illness. 
• Disruptions in public services, quarantine, or illness may interfere with anticipated release dates.  

The complexity of the juvenile justice system coupled with the aggressive nature of a pandemic makes it difficult to address the vulnerability that incarcerated youth and their families face right now.  However, there are a few immediate actions that either have been taken or are being considered. 

Physical Health: Youth need access to soap and sanitizer, and need to have the ability to social distance.  Administrative or solitary confinement is not an adequate form of social isolation or medical separation.  As tests become available, all staff and youth need to be tested to slow the spread of COVID-19 and make it safe to release youth to community supervision.

Emotional Health: Young people need updates on the health and safety of their families and vice versa. They may have parents who are also incarcerated. To address this need, the Wisconsin Division of Juvenile Corrections has lifted restrictions to allow unlimited free calls to eliminate that barrier for families. Social worker and case manager visits are continuing via teleconference. Some activities have been cancelled. These need to be replaced with positive activities so that the young people have physical, intellectual, and emotional outlets.   

Transparency: Publishing a Trauma Informed Coronavirus Safety Plan that is available to the public would provide needed information and a way to hold systems accountable.  Establishing and advertising a regular community webinar to field questions, concerns, and solutions from families and communities would also provide accountability. We trust that administrators are committed to supporting the young people in their care. However, we need to know that the people who work within facilities are trained, equipped, and supported to support the youth in age appropriate, trauma informed ways throughout the course of this pandemic.  

In summary, it is imperative that administrators, elected officials, stakeholders, and community members be acutely aware of the impact that this public health crisis is having on the mental health and stability of those youth in confinement. We should be called upon to do immediately that which can alleviate some of the stress and lessen the compounding sense of isolation. 

Erica Nelson