American Civil Liberties Union

The ACLU's unique and powerful network of state affiliate offices has been working on the frontlines to reduce reliance on solitary confinement, making states safer while saving taxpayer dollars.

California

• SB 1363 (This bill would provide that a minor or ward who is detained in, or sentenced to, any juvenile facility, jail, or other secure state or local facility shall not be subject to solitary confinement, as defined, unless the minor or ward poses an immediate and substantial risk of harm to others or to the security of the facility, and all other less-restrictive options have been exhausted.)

Colorado

• Report on CO-DOC’s Implementation of Administrative Segregation Plan
• Colorado Department of Corrections Administrative Segregation and Classification Review Technical Assistance # 11P1022
• SB 176: Concerning Appropriate Use of Restrictive Confinement: Rights of Prisoners

Illinois

• Edwin Yohnka, “Saving Dollars… With Good Policy” Huffington Post, March 28, 2012 (About the closing of the Tamms supermax facility)
• Letter from the ACLU of Illinois to Governor Pat Quinn Regarding the Closure of the Tamms Correctional Facility
• David Fathi’s statement before the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability For the Hearing on the Proposed Closure of Tamms Correctional Center

Maine

• Maine CLU Resources and Information Regarding Solitary Confinement
• Final Working Group Report
• “Reform Comes to the Supermax,” Lance Tapley, The Portland Phoenix, May 25, 2011

Mississippi

• Mississippi DOC Deputy Commissioner on Reducing the Use of Segregation in Prisons (2011)
• Complaint, Presley v. Epps, No. 4:05CV148-JAD (N.D. Miss. June 22, 2005)
• Supplemental Consent Decree, Presley v. Epps, No. 4:05CV148-JAD (N.D. Miss. November 3, 2007)
• Expert Report of James Austin, Presley v. Epps, No. 4:05CV148-JAD (N.D. Miss. November 15, 2007) (classification)
• “Mississippi's Corrections Reform: How America's Reddest State – And Most Notorious Prison – Became a Model of Corrections Reform,” John Buntin, Governing Magazine, August 2010
• “Beyond Supermax Administrative Segregation,” Terry Kupers, et. al, Criminal Justice and Behavior, July 21, 2009
• Vera Institute of Justice, Segregation Reduction Project

New Mexico

• House Memorial 62

New York

• Summary compilation of NY SHU Exclusion Law
• SB 5906 (Inmates  shall  not  be  in  segregated confinement for reason of discipline, detention, administrative segregation, protective  custody, keeplock, or any other reason for admission, unless they have engaged in highly  dangerous,  violent  or  serious  escape-related  behavior while incarcerated in that facility;  ninety day review)

Texas

• Senate Criminal Justice Interim Charge -- Administrative Segregation Study (January 13, 2012)
• HB 3764 (adult solitary confinement)
• HB 3303 (juvenile solitary confinement)

Virginia

• Sindey Rittenberg, “Solitary Torture,” Washington Post, Jan. 27, 2011.
• Anita Kumar, “Solitary Confinement in Virginia Prisons Should be Reduced, Lawmakers Say,” Washington Post, Jan. 11, 2012
• Solitary confinement in Virginia, Washington Post Editorial, Jan. 11, 2012
• HJ126: Directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the use of solitary confinement by the Department of Corrections
• SJ93: Directing the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the use of solitary confinement by the Department of Corrections