Important Report Tonight, March 22, on Solitary Confinement of Kids in Adult Prisons and Jails

Tonight, on "Rock Center with Brian Williams," Ted Koppel will report on the solitary confinement of kids in adult prisons and jails—an all-too-common practice that Juvenile Law Center strongly opposes.

Many national and international organizations oppose the use of solitary confinement of juveniles in correctional facilities, including the United Nations, who in 1990 established Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty, prohibiting the practice of solitary confinement for juveniles; The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

Protecting youth in institutional placements is one of Juvenile Law Center’s core initiatives—we use legislative advocacy at both the national and state levels to prevent the mistreatment of youth and to improve the conditions of confinement in juvenile correctional settings. Our current work in this area includes litigation on behalf of two boys who were subjected to prolonged periods of isolation while confined in New Jersey state-run juvenile facilities, with little or no procedural due process.

Attorney General Eric Holder should ban the solitary confinement of juveniles in federal custody—a move that could serve as a model for national reform. Our nation’s justice systems should focus on rehabilitating youth so they can successfully re-join their families and communities.

Watch a preview of tonight's important report, which will air at 10 PM EST, here: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp/51282041#51282041