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How long is administrative segregation?

Administrative segregation, also known as solitary confinement or isolation, refers to the practice of housing inmates separately from the general population in prison. It is used for disciplinary reasons or to maintain safety and security in correctional facilities. However, there are concerns about the psychological effects long-term isolation can have on inmates.

What is Administrative Segregation?

Administrative segregation is a form of separation from the general population in prison where inmates are confined to single cells for up to 23 hours per day. They are allowed out of their cells for only one hour of exercise and recreation per day. Inmates in administrative segregation have limited contact with staff and other inmates.

It is different from disciplinary segregation, which is a punitive form of solitary confinement used as punishment for violating prison rules. Administrative segregation is non-punitive and can be used for the following reasons:

  • Protecting vulnerable inmates who may be at risk in general population, such as former law enforcement or informants.
  • Temporarily housing inmates pending investigation or transfer.
  • Separating inmates deemed to be security threats, such as gang members.

Prison officials have significant discretion in assigning inmates to administrative segregation. The decision can be based on factors like an inmate’s criminal history, gang affiliation, escape risk, or history of violence against others while incarcerated.

How Long Does Administrative Segregation Last?

There are no set limits on how long someone can be kept in administrative segregation. Some inmates end up spending years or even decades in solitary confinement if officials determine they cannot be housed safely in general population.

A few states have limits on the maximum consecutive stay in solitary:

State Maximum solitary confinement term limit
Colorado 15 days
Nebraska 90 days
New Mexico 15 days

However, in most states, there is no definite term limit and prisons can authorize back-to-back stints in segregation for indefinite periods. A prisoner’s time in solitary is typically reviewed periodically by a classification committee to determine if continued placement is warranted.

Federal Bureau of Prisons Policy

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has policies that recommend prisons avoid keeping an inmate in continuous solitary confinement for more than 12 months. However, it still permits indefinite isolation in extreme cases:

  • Initial placement in administrative segregation is for up to 90 days.
  • After the initial 90 days, the inmate’s status must be reviewed by the Segregation Review Official (SRO).
  • The SRO can approve continued segregation in 60-day increments.
  • After 12 continuous months, the Assistant Director for the Correctional Programs Division must approve any extensions.
  • There are no hard limits on the maximum time allowed in segregation.

Despite the guidelines recommending against prolonged isolation, many federal inmates still end up spending years in solitary confinement if officials believe there are no alternatives for their situation.

How Common is Long-Term Solitary Confinement?

There is no comprehensive nationwide data on the prevalence of long-term solitary confinement. However, various state surveys and studies have found concerning rates of inmates held in isolation for very prolonged periods:

  • A 2015 study estimated 80,000 or more U.S. prisoners were held in restricted housing, including solitary confinement. Of those, nearly a third had spent at least 3 years and some had spent over three decades.
  • In New York, a 2014 report found nearly 4,000 prisoners had been in solitary for over 6 months, including some for over 5 years.
  • In California, over 500 inmates had spent more than 10 years in isolation according to data from 2011-2012.
  • Pelican Bay prison in California held 78 prisoners in solitary confinement for over 20 years, with over 40 exceeding 25 years, according to a 2011 count.

This data indicates there are still widespread cases of people remaining in continuous solitary confinement for extreme periods of 10, 20 or even 40 years at some facilities.

Concerns Over Prolonged Solitary Confinement

Keeping inmates in isolation for long durations has drawn increasing scrutiny in recent years over mental health concerns. Studies have found that prolonged solitary confinement can lead to or exacerbate psychological disorders like depression, anxiety, hallucinations, emotional distress and suicidal thoughts. Other effects reported include:

  • Confusion, memory loss and impaired concentration
  • Hypersensitivity to stimuli
  • Compulsive behaviors
  • Paranoia and panic attacks
  • Insomnia and lethargy

After 60 days in solitary confinement, many inmates suffer impaired neurocognitive function. These significant psychological and social harms have led human rights groups, mental health professionals and correctional officials to argue for reforms limiting or ending prolonged isolation.

Reform Efforts

Growing awareness of the mental health toll has driven some reforms and reduction in use of solitary confinement in recent years:

  • Colorado, Mississippi, New York have passed laws restricting solitary confinement for certain vulnerable groups like mentally ill prisoners and juveniles.
  • President Obama instituted some limits on federal prisons’ use of solitary confinement in 2016, prohibiting isolation of juveniles.
  • California agreed to end indefinite isolation as part of a legal settlement of prisoners’ lawsuits in 2015 and now keeps administrative segregation terms to determinate sentences with a maximum limit of 5 years.
  • Between 2014-2018, the average daily number of inmates held in some form of restricted housing by the Federal Bureau of Prisons dropped from 11,365 to 7,772.

However, prolonged solitary confinement is still practiced widely across many facilities, especially state-level prisons and local jails. Further policy changes may be required to fully address concerns over administrative segregation reform and restrict long-term isolation.

Conclusion

There are often no hard limits on how long prisoners can be kept in solitary confinement for administrative reasons. Some inmates remain in continuous, indefinite isolation ranging from months to over 40 years at some facilities if officials believe it’s necessary.

Extremely prolonged solitary confinement raises significant mental health concerns and continues to draw calls for reform. But it remains a widespread practice used routinely in prisons when officials determine there are no better alternatives for safely managing certain inmates.