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Solitary Confinement

The Solitary Confinement topic provides in-depth coverage of issues, debates and policies related to the use of isolation in correctional facilities.

Official: “Many of the provisions could inadvertently undermine the overall goals of protecting individuals from harm, promoting sound correctional practice and improving safety for those in custody and jail staff”
The lawsuit alleges that juvenile detainees had their civil rights infringed upon at the Adair County facility and that the center failed to properly train staff
The new law requires solitary confinement to “only be used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible”
The bill places a four-hour limit on isolating inmates who pose an immediate risk of violence to others or themselves in “de-escalation” units
CDCR’s new regulations would give solitary inmates up to 20 hours of outside cell time per week, up from the 10 hours they are currently allowed
The lawsuit alleges that the DoC, which didn’t comment, confines people with serious mental illness by withholding evaluations, diagnoses and care
Allegheny County Jail reports compliance with a county referendum that limits solitary confinement for inmates
Officials asked for more staff after a High Desert State inmate was fatally stabbed with a prison-made shank by another prisoner who escaped his separation cage
The policy and procedure changes for solitary confinement were presented at a meeting, during which the public referred to the practice as torturous
His original 7-year prison term in 1994 was extended with additional sentences totaling 90 years for assaulting correctional officers, including throwing bodily fluids
Across the U.S., around 7% of prisoners were in restrictive housing in state and federal prisons. In Kansas, that figure was 10.5%, while in Missouri, it was 11.9%
The union says prison violence rose by 33% in the year since HALT took effect
The suit accuses officials of holding people in extended segregation even though they don’t meet the law’s criteria
The final version didn’t place any restrictions on how long a prisoner can remain in solitary
Court rules that seven months of solitary confinement for an inmate with known mental health issues violated the Eighth Amendment and clearly established law
The bill would limit confinement to no more than 15 consecutive days and prohibit placing anyone in solitary who is pregnant or has a physical or mental disability
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 182 inmates over “some of the most brutal death row conditions in the country”
The former inmate claims his religious freedoms were violated when his knee-length locks were cut and is appealing for monetary damages
As of Nov. 1, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision reported 1,231 assaults on staff
The CO suffered a broken eye socket and other injuries; the CO union continues to argue against a bill to ban solitary confinement in the city’s jails
“If I punch any one of you in your face and break your orbital, you’re not coming to work the next day. That’s our reality every single day,” a CO official said
Deysean Sanchez, 38, has repeatedly assaulted COs, sometimes throwing his own urine and feces at them
Alex Friedmann claimed he was being punished for his years of advocacy on behalf of prisoners prior to his arrest
“AB 2632 establishes standards that are overly broad and exclusions that could risk the safety of both the staff and incarcerated population within these facilities,” he said
Testimony came during a City Council hearing on a bill to ban solitary confinement at Rikers Island
“Someone slashes someone in jail, what do I do with him? I remove him from population and put him someplace by himself until he corrects his action.”
“New York City is better than solitary confinement,” Speaker Adams said
“Violence is through the roof. The percentage of violence since the HALT Act is going to exceed last year’s record numbers of assaults on staff, and inmate on inmate assaults,” said union head
The proposal would restrict the use of confinement to no more than 15 consecutive days and a total of 45 days in a six-month span