Jenner & Block, in partnership with The Legal Aid Society, has filed a federal class action lawsuit challenging the New York State Office of Children and Family Services' (OCFS) practice of subjecting youth to solitary confinement.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that OCFS routinely confines children alone in cells for up to 24 hours per day, sometimes for weeks or months, while denying them access to education, programming, and basic necessities. The complaint argues these practices violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief to end these practices and ensure youth in OCFS custody receive humane, age-appropriate care.
The Jenner team is led by Partners Jeremy Creelan, Jacob Alderdice and Damian Williams with support from Associates Marielle Sanchez, Alex Ussia, Owen Keiter, Anne Warnke, Niki Wasserman, Lauren Hackett, Benjamin Rhind, and Jane Mezzino, and paralegal Anastasia Swetz.