Robert May, the director of a documentary about the corrupt Pennsylvania judges convicted of wrongdoing regarding juvenile crimes, writes in the Washington Post that children should not be shackled when brought into courtrooms if adults are not. He notes the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently "held that shackling adult defendants in handcuffs, leg irons and belly chains should be limited to the most extreme cases. The court, however, has remained silent on restraining juveniles." He notes that mental health experts say that automatic juvenile shackling is inconsistent with the goals of rehabilitation within the juvenile justice system and can do permanent harm to children, especially those who are already traumatized. If defendants accused of murder can be left unshackled in court, then children should be too, May said.
Lawyer and Legal Journalist
