New York City’s juvenile jails are rife with abuse, and the constitutional rights of teenagers are often trampled by guards, according to a newly released Justice Department report.
The Associated Press reports that the federal investigation revealed “rampant use of unnecessary and excessive force” at Rikers Island juvenile jail facilities for teenagers ages 16 to 18.
The problems were numerous, from poor training to the overuse of solitary confinement.
“It is a place where brute force is the first impulse rather than the last resort; where verbal insults are repaid with physical injuries; where beatings are routine while accountability is rare; and where a culture of violence endures even while a code of silence prevails,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara at a news conference.
