Vermont defender general sues state's juvenile detention facility

The Vermont defender general is suing the state's only juvenile detention facility, charging that staffers used "dangerous and painful restraint" techniques and other disciplinary methods that run afoul of common standards.

The lawsuit comes after years of complaints about Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Colchester and questions about its future.

Vermont Public Radio reports that court documents describe a recent incident in which a 17-year old was held on the ground with a knee in his back, allegedly cutting off his ability to breathe or speak and resulting in "significant pain and swelling of his joints."

The lawsuit asks Woodside to a switch to a nationally recognized restraint method.

The Department for Children and Families, which runs the facility, counters the claims in the lawsuit contain "mischaracterizations and factual inaccuracies."

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