Bill to ban solitary confinement in federal prisons introduced in House

Erik Ortiz, NBC

The End Solitary Confinement Act would prohibit isolating inmates and detainees with limited exceptions while ensuring their due process rights.

A bill that would broadly ban the use of solitary confinement in federal prisons, jails and detention centers was introduced by a coalition of House Democrats on Thursday, a measure that seeks to codify into law the limitations on when and how long someone can be left isolated in a cell.

Under the End Solitary Confinement Act, inmates and detainees would not be segregated alone for more than a maximum of four hours in order to de-escalate an emergency situation, and even then, staff would be required to meet with them at least once an hour. Incarcerated people would also be ensured access to at least 14 hours of daily time out of their cells, including access to seven hours of programming meant to address topics such as mental health, substance abuse and violence prevention.

Roughly 122,000 people in federal and state adult prisons and federal and local jails are placed in restrictive housing — informally known as solitary confinement — for 22 hours or more on a given day, according to a nonprofit watchdog report based on government data. […]

In recent years, all but a handful of states have introduced or passed legislation aimed at curbing solitary confinement, including ending the practice for vulnerable populations, such as juveniles and pregnant or LGBTQ prisoners.

Senate Democrats introduced a bill last fall to reduce the use of solitary confinement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The House bill goes further, placing not only a cap on hours inmates can be isolated, but also mandating that the federal government regularly report the number of incidents of self-harm and suicide at federal facilities, as well as reporting the use of solitary and demographic breakdowns of those confined during emergency de-escalation situations.

Read the rest of the original article to learn more about the bill.

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