LINCOLN- The ACLU of Nebraska says a new report issued by the Inspector General of Child Welfare raises a 'red flag' about a significant increase in solitary confinement of juveniles after it was revealed that such youths spent 32% more hours in solitary confinement over the course of the past year. The report even revealed that the hours spent by juveniles in confinement at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney nearly quadrupled.

"Officials need to act on this now," said Jason Witmer, a former prison inmate who is now a policy fellow with the ACLU, "I know firsthand from enduring it myself that no one, particularly youth, should have to face days, weeks, or in some cases months alone under confinement." Jennifer Carter, the Inspector General for Child Welfare, said juvenile detention facilities and treatment centers are "struggling" to adhere to state law when it comes to solitary confinement, as statute requires that such action only be taken as a last resort and for the least amount of time as possible.

"To truly reduce the use of room confinement, the Legislature must better understand the factors driving the safety and security concerns in these facilities," said Carter, "and provide the facilities with the resources and tools they need to maintain safety while reducing the reliance on this problematic practice." Despite the findings of the report, a spokesman with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which operates the state's three youth treatment and rehabilitation centers, argued that the agency "strictly follows" statute when it comes to juvenile confinement.

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