The rally was somber and at times tearful as lawmakers and advocates pushed for a bill that would hold behavioral treatment centers for teens more accountable.
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.
“I was subjected to abuse under the guise of therapy, isolated from the outside world and denied even my most basic rights,” Hilton told an audience of about 20 reporters in Sacramento on Monday. “The cries of my comrades being restrained and sedated will never leave me…If these facilities are afraid of simple transparency measures, we must ask them, “What are they doing?” I think you should ask, ‘Do I have to hide it?’
Senate Bill 1043 received unanimous approval in the Senate Human Services Committee in the late afternoon. 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. 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.
Grove acknowledged that the speakers at the press conference, mostly women, were diverse in political leanings, socio-economic levels, and traumatic experiences, and said the lawmakers supporting the bill said they wanted to protect children. He said they are united for the sake of
“It doesn’t matter if you’re worth a billion dollars or $20, the word trauma is still here,” she said. “…We are all here as women who advocate for children who deserve to be advocated for in this state.”
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.
Wahab argued that while these programs are “sometimes necessary” for young people, they still need to “respond to the needs of these children” and protect vulnerable populations from further harm. did.
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. He ripped the phone from my hands, disconnected the call, and placed me in violent physical restraint and solitary confinement. ”
Near the end of her remarks, Ms. Hilton also said, “If you’re abusing a child, I’m going to find you and I’m going to come in with a big spotlight and shine it on you wherever you are.” made an unsubstantiated threat.
As the heir to the Hilton Hotels & Resorts empire, Hilton quickly rose to fame in the early 2000s through modeling and a series of reality TV shows. She was known for her extreme wealth, fashion choices, and party antics, and was a staple of tabloid news outlets. Since then, Hilton has somewhat remade her image as a successful businesswoman and youth advocate.
She joins a long parade of celebrities who use their influence to partner with lawmakers and advance policy. Some notable examples include Jane Fonda’s current fight against an oil industry referendum to halt the 2022 Drilling Setback Act. Jeff Goldblum sponsored two failed bills in 2020 that would have required businesses to reduce single-use packaging. and Common’s successful defense of two juvenile justice laws in 2017.
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