WASHINGTON (AP) - Juvenile defendants will no longer routinely be shackled during appearances in the District of Columbia’s federally run court system, a judge ordered Friday after negotiations with city political leaders who oppose the practice.
The order from D.C. Superior Court Chief Judge Lee Satterfield calls for judges to decide on a case-by-case basis whether juveniles should wear arm and leg restraints in court. Satterfield had previously argued in an op-ed published in The Washington Post that shackling was necessary to protect the safety of people in the courthouse and to prevent juveniles from trying to escape.
The U.S. Marshals Service handles security at the courthouse and participated in the negotiations that led to the order, which takes effect Monday. The District has the only state-level court system in the nation where U.S. Marshals escort juvenile offenders for local offenses.
The Marshals Service said in a statement that it will comply with judges’ decisions in individual cases, adding that marshals will inform the judge when they “determine a higher level of restraint is necessary.”
At least a dozen states have banned the routine use of shackles on juveniles. Advocates call the practice inhumane and counterproductive.
“Shackling can be psychologically harmful to children and does nothing to contribute to their rehabilitation,” said D.C. Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, a Democrat who pushed for the policy change in meetings between city and court officials.
David Shapiro, manager of the Campaign Against Indiscriminate Juvenile Shackling, said the District’s move is significant because it’s the first time a federal court system has agreed to curtail the practice. He said he hopes it prompts the Justice Department to look at the issue more closely.
“It’s a huge step forward, because it’s right under their noses,” he said.
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