House Democrats introduced the End Solitary Confinement Act on Thursday. Under the bill, federal prisons, jails, and detention centers would be prohibited from isolating inmates and detainees.
A coalition of House Democrats created the proposed legislation to codify into law the limitations on when and how long someone can be left isolated in a cell, NBC News reported.
Under the act, inmates and detainees would not be segregated alone for more than a maximum of four hours to de-escalate an emergency situation, and staff would be required to meet with them at least once an hour, the outlet added.
The bill will also require inmates to have access to at least 14 hours of daily time out of their cells, along with seven hours of services for mental health, substance abuse, and violence prevention.
According to A Watchdog report, 122,000 people in federal and state adult prisons and federal and local jails are placed under these types of housing restrictions that for 22 hours or more a day.
“Someday, we will look back and ask why we ever subjected people to prolonged solitary confinement and expected anything other than trauma, violence, and death as a response,” said Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., who is co-leading the legislation along with fellow Democratic Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, Adriano Espaillat, and Jamaal Bowman, both of New York.
The bill came about after concerned lawmakers reviewed studies regarding inmates who committed or attempted suicide or other forms of self-harm due to solitary confinement.
“People need to socialize to live and thrive and survive,” Kamlager-Dove said, “and correctional facilities know that which is why they find small technical violations in other ways to throw people they don’t like or want to punish or remind who’s boss into solitary confinement.”
It has not been confirmed if President Biden supports the bill or members from the Republican party. However, more than 150 legal, faith-based, and criminal justice advocacy organizations have endorsed it, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. Advocates are hopeful it will motivate the Biden administration to take up the issue
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