Additional Coverage:
- Paris Hilton calls for better oversight of for-profit youth facilities in congressional testimony (newsbreak.com)
June 26, Washington D.C. – On Wednesday, Paris Hilton, a former reality TV star who has since become a vocal advocate, testified before Congress, urging lawmakers to enforce stricter regulations on for-profit youth treatment centers. Hilton shared her traumatic ordeal as a teenager at one of these facilities, advocating for increased oversight.
Celebrity Paris Hilton made her way to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to deliver a heartfelt testimony before congressional leaders. She emphasized the need for stricter control over for-profit youth treatment centers, sharing from her grievous experiences. (Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI)
“At the age of 16, I was forcibly taken from my home in the dead of night and ended up in the first of several youth residential treatment centers,” Hilton disclosed to the members of the House Ways and Means Committee.
The committee, convening a hearing on “Strengthening Child Welfare and Protecting America’s Children” within the Longworth House Office Building, also heard from various witnesses and experts on the matter.
Paris Hilton, 43, renowned for her role in the entertainment industry and as an heiress of the Hilton Hotel empire, now heads 11:11 Media. She expressed her dedication to advocating for the reauthorization of Title IV-B of the 1935 Social Security Act – a measure first enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
During the session, Hilton, visibly moved, recounted the “inhumane treatment” she endured at a for-profit institution. She criticized the industry’s profit-driven mindset, citing its lack of substantive regulatory oversight and emphasized its $23 billion market size as problematic. (Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI)
Witnesses including Rob Geen, Chair of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s board of trustees; Tori Hope Petersen, an established author, speaker, and advocate; and Alexis Mansfield, a senior advisor at the Women’s Justice Institute, also provided testimony alongside Hilton.
Hilton highlighted the ongoing issue of over 50,000 foster youth and numerous adopted children being held in restrictive facilities, despite not having committed any criminal acts. She labeled the push for reform and enhanced oversight as a matter of “life or death.”
According to a 2020 report, as of 2018, private facilities accounted for 40% of residential detention centers in the U.S., housing 27% of youth inmates.
In a recent development, the Justice Department initiated a civil rights investigation into reports of abuse, including excessive use of force and threats of sexual violence, in various Kentucky youth detention and development centers.
Hilton shared shocking details of her experience, saying, “Programs that promised support and growth instead restricted my freedom entirely, subjecting me to medication, mistreatment, and physical abuse by staff.” She lamented the deprivation of basic rights, such as looking out of a window, for two years.
The National Governors Association stated that federal funding through Title IV-B reauthorization aims at supporting children in or at risk of entering the child welfare system, focusing on prevention and early intervention.
While acknowledging she was not a part of the foster care system, Hilton criticized the deceptive practices of the for-profit industry. She recounted tragic incidents of two individuals who died in such institutions, underlining the urgency of her cause.
A 2021 study revealed that individuals aged 11 to 21 with a history of juvenile detention faced a significantly higher risk of early death than their peers, highlighting the dire consequences of the current system.
Concluding her testimony, Hilton offered a message of hope and solidarity to children within the system, assuring them of her ongoing commitment to advocacy and reform.
Hilton has been actively involved in advocacy for several years, contributing to the passage of nine legislative measures. She urged Congress to pass the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, proposed by Rep. Ro Khanna, emphasizing the right of children to grow up in safe, nurturing environments.
“If you are a child in this system, hear me,” Hilton said, offering reassurance to those currently facing challenges. “I see you, believe in you, and won’t stop fighting for you.
You matter, and you deserve every chance for a safe and supported future.” (Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI)