Just over a year ago, on April 11, 2022, 15-year-old Connor Bennett died after attempting to take his own life inside of a residential youth treatment facility in Tuskegee. For five months leading up to that day, Bennett allegedly endured physical, sexual and verbal abuse.

His mother said when he asked the staff who were supposed to be supporting for help, they ignored him.

Reports of unchecked violence and abuse in youth mental health facilities like this are not uncommon. There are three other residential youth facilities like the one where Bennett stayed throughout Alabama — all run by the for-profit company Sequel Youth & Family Services — and former residents and staff have made allegations against them, too.

The allegations extend beyond Alabama, and this week, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama was among the five congressmen who introduced a bill to address oversight of these kinds of facilities.

“States are doing the best they can do to regulate, but we need to do more at the national level,” Tuberville said at a news conference. “There’s an old saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. We need to open our eyes and put the sun on what’s going on in this country with these facilities. We need some more sunlight on these facilities so we can put a stop to the waste, fraud, and abuse in the system.”

The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act proposes greater transparency from these facilities that are privately owned and government-contracted. The bill would establish a federal work group to provide oversight of these facilities, and it would direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to study the use of behavioral intervention methods like restraints and seclusion on children in the facilities.

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Georgia) teamed up on the legislation.

Also present at the news conference following the bill’s introduction on Thursday was celebrity Paris Hilton, who has been an outspoken advocate for children in residential facilities.

Hilton stayed in four “troubled teen” facilities as a child, where she says she was physically abused, yelled at and dehumanized. In her experience, fresh air and sunlight were considered privileges.

“Every day in America, children in residential facilities are being physically, emotionally and sexually abused by those responsible for their care. I’m never going to get my childhood back, but some of these children are losing their futures, too,” Hilton said at the news press conference. “How many more children need to die before you take action?”

In its inception, the bill garnered rare bipartisan support from lawmakers and child welfare advocates alike.

One of those advocates is Birmingham attorney Tommy James, who has spent the last 20 years representing victims of institutional abuse. He now has seven ongoing cases against the facilities in Alabama, including that of Connor Bennett’s mother against Sequel and Brighter Path Tuskegee.

“As someone who has been fighting for justice for survivors of institutional abuse for over two decades, I can confirm the urgent need for this groundbreaking legislation,” James said in a statement. “The current lack of oversight and accountability in these facilities has allowed for rampant abuse and neglect, resulting in incomprehensible harm and even death.”

Ultimately, supporters of the bill want one thing for these residential treatment facilities: the safety of the children inside them.

Resources for help

In accordance with federal law, the Alabama Department of Youth Services has a Prison Rape Elimination Act Coordinator who may be reached at 1-334-604-4233 to report suspected sexual abuse that has happened at a DYS or private contract service provider facility. The department also operates the DYS Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-855-332-1594.

This story deals with suicide and mental health issues. If you’re in a crisis, there is a new federal program designed to help. You can call or text 988 to connect with a trained mental health counselor. The $423 million program replaces the National Suicide Hotline. It is designed to assist callers through an immediate crisis and help them find services in their area for follow-up care.

Hadley Hitson covers the rural South for the Montgomery Advertiser and Report for America. She can be reached at [email protected]. To support her work, subscribe to the Advertiser or donate to Report for America.