NCJ Number
249733
Date Published
January 2016
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This report presents guidelines for the characteristics and uses of restrictive housing in U.S. correctional facilities
Abstract
The guidelines encompass general guidelines for restrictive housing followed by guidelines for conditions under which various types of restrictive housing are appropriate and its use with special inmate populations. As a general rule, inmates should be housed in the least restrictive setting necessary to ensure their own safety, as well as the safety of staff, other inmates, and the public. When restrictive housing is deemed necessary, facility administrators should specify the reasons for the placement, supported by objective evidence. Continuation of restrictive housing should be regularly reviewed for each involved inmate. Guidelines for "end-of-term placement'" include a guideline that states, "Absent a compelling reason, prison inmates should not be released directly from restrictive housing into the community." Other guidelines address disciplinary segregation, preventative segregation, and conditions of confinement. Guidelines for restrictive housing also address its use with the following special inmate populations: inmates with serious mental illness; juveniles under age 18 at the time of adjudication; young adults (age 18-24 at time of conviction); lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming inmates; pregnant and post-partum inmates; and inmates with medical needs. The report also lists the types of data that facilities should collect on their use of restrictive housing, so as to ensure transparency and provide for ongoing assessments of how restrictive housing is being used and associated conditions of confinement.