Monday’s rally was a somber and at times tearful one as lawmakers and advocates pushed for legislation that would place more accountability on behavioral treatment centers for teens.
Most of the attention (some might say unexpectedly) was focused on one speaker. That person is Paris Hilton, hotel heiress, socialite and media personality.
Hilton is the latest celebrity to use her fame (or, in her words, “spotlight”) to persuade Congress to change state policy. In Ms. Hilton’s case, the physical and emotional abuse she experienced at youth treatment centers in California, Utah, and Montana led her to become institutionalized in the “troubled teen industry.” led to her personal crusade against abuse.
- Hilton: “I was subjected to abuse under the guise of therapy, isolated from the outside world and denied even the most basic rights…The cries of my companions, restrained and sedated, never left me. No. If these facilities are scared of simple transparency measures, I think we should ask them, “What do we have to hide?”
Senate Bill 1043 received unanimous approval in the Senate Human Services Committee late Monday. It would require the California Department of Human Services to detail the use of its centers’ “isolation rooms” and restraints through a publicly accessible online dashboard by January 1, 2026. The information includes a description of the incident, the duration of the incident, and its contents. Employees were also involved in the incident. Facilities will also be required to notify the person confined or detained and, if the person is a minor, their parent or guardian.
Hilton’s nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact is a bipartisan publication led by Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, and co-authored by Democratic Sens. Angelique Ashby of Sacramento and Aisha Wahab of Fremont. He is co-sponsoring the bill. California Disability Rights and the California Children’s Law Center also support the proposal.
- glove: “It doesn’t matter if you’re worth a billion dollars or $20. The word trauma is still here.”
In 2021, following reports of rampant abuse, California passed a law banning sending troubled youth, including foster children, to for-profit treatment centers outside the state. Alternatively, youth could be placed in short-term residential treatment programs approved by the state Department of Social Services. Two years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill funding a crisis residential treatment facility for children in the Medical State.
Hilton said she lived in constant fear during her time in these youth facilities, including the 11 months she spent at Provo Canyon School in Utah when she was 17 years old.
Near the end of his remarks, Hilton also said in a not-so-veiled statement, “If you’re abusing a child, I’ll find you and I’ll come in with a big spotlight and shine it on you wherever you are.” Made unwrapped threats.
Read more about Hilton’s appearance and celebrity advocacy in our article.
