To slow the virusâs spread, youth lockups nationwide have shut down school programs. Solitary confinement and other forms of isolation, which in recent years had largely been eradicated in juvenile jails, have resurged in an effort to socially distance, according to lawsuits in five states, interviews with staff and statements from youth. In most facilities, with family visits canceled and only âessentialâ employeesâtypically just guardsâon the job, teens are increasingly alone.