NCJ Number
187328
Journal
Juvenile Correctional Mental Health Report Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: January-February 2001 Pages: 17,22-24
Date Published
January 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The State of Louisiana agreed on August 31, 2000, to wholesale changes in its operation of mental health services in secure juvenile facilities, as well as other aspects of its secure juvenile facilities, to settle four lawsuits in a case called Williams v. McKeithen.
Abstract
The agreement terminates on January 21, 2003. The plaintiffs’ remedy for subsequent issues of noncompliance appears to be to reopen the lawsuit. The 103-page agreement details provisions aimed at resolving well-publicized charges of routine physical abuse by guards. Other important pieces of the settlement relate to the alleged deprivations of food, clothing, medical care, dental care, and mental health services. The Louisiana State University School of Medicine will provide essential medical and mental health services, as well as staff training and some of the evaluation. The mental health provisions define serious mental illness, limit the use of force against juveniles with any mental illness, prevent security issues alone from determining housing assignments, limit mechanical restraints, and provide limits on the use of administrative segregation for mentally ill juveniles. The trust that the plaintiffs’ lead attorney placed in Louisiana State University was the reason that the settlement did not specify a particular number of mental health beds.