On March 14 we filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of the mother of a young boy, who was brutally mistreated at Long Creek Youth Development Center. While he was there, he was denied adequate medical care and services for his disability, and when his condition worsened, he was brutally attacked by two prison guards. Our hope is that this lawsuit will lead to justice for our clients, and that it will help convince the public that children do not belong in prison. Much about what we know about problems at Long Creek comes from this report from the Center for Children’s Law and Policy documenting substantial problems at Long Creek relating to medical care, staff training, the use of excessive force, and other issues. We expect to learn a great deal more over the course of the litigation.

You can learn more about this case from reporting in the Portland Press Herald, Bangor Daily News, Maine Public, and WGME.