Putting children accused of delinquency into shackles is a holdover from less-enlightened days, when kids were viewed as small adults who needed punishment.

Putting children accused of delinquency into shackles is a holdover from less-enlightened days, when kids were viewed as small adults who needed punishment.

Today�s juvenile–justice system aims to rehabilitate, recognizing the damage of early trauma, such as child abuse and neglect, and the fact that a youth�s brain isn�t fully developed, notably the areas that govern reasoning and weighing consequences � such as, �Is this a good idea?� That explains why parents have long wondered, �What was that kid thinking?�

But the shackling of kids in court has been more widespread in Ohio than elsewhere, a survey found. This ended on Monday. The Ohio Supreme Court announced a rule prohibiting these restraints unless a judge and magistrate finds the juvenile poses a threat of violence or escape.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio hailed the new rule as a major victory in justice-system reform.

�Juvenile courts are supposed to have a mission to rehabilitate, but shackling a child for no reason only inflicts trauma on them,� said Shakyra Diaz, ACLU policy manager. �Ending automatic shackling assures that children receive the same due-process protection in courts as adults. This rule allows them to appear in court in a dignified manner, free of restraints.�

Indiscriminately shackling teens is cruel and unproductive toward turning kids around. This is a welcome rule change.