Sacramento's Quest to End Solitary Confinement for Kids

Across the United States, the use of administrative segregation is being rethought and reduced, as study after study shows it’s link to higher rates of violence and recidivism. At Maine State Prison, over the course of six years, the number of people in solitary went from 100 to 8, while also seeing a decline in fights, use of weapons, and emergency room transportation in the prison’s general population. The prison has instead started implementing individualized mental health programming and structured living units – opting to implement rehabilitation over punitive measures.

The Iowa Correctional Institution for Women has reformed how inmates are treated, adapting approaches informed by gender and past trauma. A new campus provides private counseling suites and a mental health unit, larger cells with light controls and a visitation area with play space and a garden so women can engage with their children. Disciplinary policies have also shifted toward building women up for returning to society rather than automatic discipline for small infractions.

Prison officials in North Dakota have revamped solitary confinement, inspired in part by Norway's system, which focuses on “punishment that works.” There is much less focus on using isolation to punish small infractions and more emphasis on mental health and helping inmates learn new skills to change behavior. The shift has reduced tensions between guards and prisoners, fostering better relationships and less disruptive behavior and suicide attempts by inmates.

Nursery programs inside prisons are not common. The Decatur Correctional Center is one of the few in the country. Eleven years since its inception, “more than 90 women have gone through the Moms and Babies program.”

The "Earned Living Unit" at Stillwater prison trades expanded privileges like single cells, herb gardens, and self-run vocational programs for behavioral accountability, resulting in zero lockdowns and no fights during its first two months.

In Los Angeles County Jail, a peer-to-peer mental health program called Forensic Inpatient (FIP) Stepdown has incarcerated individuals trained as mental health assistants supporting fellow inmates struggling with severe mental illnesses. Started by inmates themselves, the program has significantly reduced self-harm incidents, improved hygiene and social functioning, and restored dignity to inmates who participate.

Several counties are looking to implement bail reform as a way to address the harms people face in jail while awaiting a court date. Groups like The Bail Project have helped release 23,745 people from jail by helping pay their bail and ensure they make it to court so that bail money can go toward the next person in need.

In Kansas, Douglas County jail reduced the number of incarcerated people with serious mental illness with a suite of practices including connecting them to mental health workers, providing rides, and helping them prepare for life outside of jail.

The eight-week program at the Forsyth County detention center’s Behavioral Health Unit has served 117 men experiencing mental illness — something that is typically underserved in jails. The behavioral health unit provides counseling and mental health services to individuals in the jail who need it and also includes courses on coping, dealing with stress, practicing mindfulness, and preparing for various life transitions.

The Bail Project allows defendants to go free while awaiting trial. Bail reform takes the burden off of the poor and prevents people from losing their jobs while sitting in jail awaiting trial because they can’t afford to pay their bail, specifically for those with misdemeanor charges. In the first six months following the bail reform, there were 1,500 more people released. Following them for three years, there was a 6% decrease in prosecutions and guilty pleas and time served also dropped.