Correctional Services – Restrictive Housing — Report

Summary

FOR the purpose of requiring the state corrections agency on or before a certain date each year to submit certain data to the Governor’s Office relating to the use of certain restrictive housing in correctional facilities; requiring the state corrections agency to make certain information available on the agency’s website; defining a certain term; and generally relating to correctional facilities.

Correctional Services – Restrictive Housing — Report

Section 1. The following words have the meanings indicated.

(a) In this section, “restrictive housing” means a type of detention that involves:

          (1) Removal of an inmate from the general inmate population, whether voluntary or involuntary;

          (2) Placement of the inmate in a locked room or cell, whether alone or with another inmate; and

          (3) The inability of the inmate to leave the room or cell for the vast majority of the day, typically 22 hours or more.

(b)     (1) On or before October 1 each year, the corrections agency shall submit data to the Governor’s office, showing, by correctional facility:

                    ( i ) the total population of the correctional facility;

                    (ii) the number of inmates who have been placed in restrictive housing during the preceding year by age, race, ethnicity, gender, classification of housing, and the basis for the inmate’s placement in restrictive housing;

                    (iii) the number of inmates with serious mental illness that were placed in restrictive housing during the preceding year;

                    (iv) the definition of “serious mental illness” used by the agency in making the report;

                    (v) the number of inmates known to be pregnant or in the postpartum period when placed in restrictive housing during the preceding year;

                    (vi) the average and median lengths of stay in restrictive housing of the inmates placed in restrictive housing during the preceding year;

                    (vii) the number of incidents of death, self–harm, and attempts at self–harm by inmates in restrictive housing during the preceding year, and any change in the number or type of disciplinary infractions following placement in restrictive housing;

                    (viii) the number of inmates released from restrictive housing directly into the community during the preceding year;

                    (ix) any other data the agency considers relevant to the use of restrictive housing by correctional facilities in the state; and

                    (x) any changes to written policies or procedures at each correctional facility relating to the use and conditions of restrictive housing, including steps to reduce reliance on restrictive housing.

                    (xi) if possible, an estimate of the cost of total and per inmate cost of restrictive housing compared with the average cost per inmate of those in the general population.

          (2) the agency shall make the information submitted in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection available on the agency’s web site.