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Public opinion on juvenile solitary confinement
Dissertation   Open access

Public opinion on juvenile solitary confinement

Suraji R. Wagage
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
May 2018
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00000960
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Abstract

Human rights Juvenile justice, Administration of Juvenile justice, Administration of--Public opinion Solitary confinement Racism in criminal justice administration
Solitary confinement, including solitary confinement of juveniles, is a widespread practice in the United States justice system. National and international organizations have begun to advocate for the elimination of solitary confinement, particularly for juveniles, identifying it as a possible human rights concern. A Supreme Court finding that solitary confinement of juveniles violates the Eighth Amendment's proscription of cruel and unusual punishment or contravenes a Fourteenth Amendment substantive due process right would require facilities to cease its use. Under both the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, public opinion is an important component of an analysis of the constitutionality of solitary confinement. Therefore, this study surveyed public opinion on juvenile solitary confinement and factors that impact public opinion, examining the effects of an incarcerated male individual's age, race, and duration of confinement on perceptions of juvenile solitary confinement. Analysis of variance indicated that public opinion on the acceptability of solitary confinement differed by incarcerated individual's age and duration of confinement. Public opinion on the acceptability of solitary confinement did not differ by incarcerated individual's race. Implications for public policy, future directions, and limitations are discussed.

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