The Michigan Supreme Court has amended a court rule to say that juveniles and adults must be kept separated in jails and prisons.
The old rule was in conflict with state and federal laws that are supposed to help protect detained juveniles from rape and assault.
Dan Korobkin is the legal affairs director for the ACLU of Michigan. He says there’s at least one instance of a Michigan judge allowing a juvenile to be held in the same area as adults.
“We realized there was still this confusion over complying with federal and state law when it comes to the safety of children in prisons and jails.”
The rule takes effect right away while the Supreme Court accepts comments on it.
The ACLU also wants the court to adopt a rule that says juveniles cannot be held in isolation because of the risk of psychological damage.