Colorado lawmakers agree to limits on juvenile solitary

New limits on solitary confinement for Colorado’s juvenile offenders are headed to the governor’s desk.

Lawmakers agreed Monday on a measure to make it harder to use solitary confinement in state-run juvenile facilities.

The bill limits the use of solitary confinement to four hours without approval of the head of the state Division of Youth Corrections. The practice could be used more than eight hours only if there’s a court order. Staff must check on the youth every 15 minutes.

The bill also requires juvenile facilities to track the race, age and gender of youths held in solitary.

President Barack Obama in January called for a ban on putting juveniles housed in the federal prison system in solitary confinement.