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‘Touch Starvation:’ California Decides Whether Youth in Detention Should Be Able to Hug Visitors

Being a supportive mom can feel impossible when your child is locked up in the Los Angeles County juvenile hall. If he’s anxious, depressed or crying, there’s no reaching over for a tight embrace. But for the past three years, the county has restricted all types of physical contact during visits. When she makes hourslong trips to her now 21-year-old son, that has left Chevonda Perry feeling “worthless” as a mother.  “That’s the worst…