Bill > H2504

This bill seeks to provide criminal justice reform protections to all prisoners in segregated confinement. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Defining various types of segregated confinement, such as restrictive housing, disciplinary restrictive housing, secure adjustment units, and secure treatment units, and establishing minimum standards for access to out-of-cell time, programming, and other privileges for prisoners in segregated confinement. 2. Prohibiting the placement of certain vulnerable populations, including pregnant individuals, those with permanent physical or developmental disabilities, and youth and older adults, in segregated confinement. 3. Establishing a presumption in favor of release to the general population at each placement review and allowing prisoners to challenge their placement in segregated confinement in court. 4. Requiring the Commissioner of Correction to publish quarterly and semi-annual reports on the use of segregated confinement, including detailed data on the demographics and experiences of prisoners in such confinement. 5. Creating a segregated confinement oversight committee to monitor the use of segregated confinement and provide recommendations for reform. 6. Ensuring that mental health treatment provided in segregated confinement meets clinical standards and that prisoners have access to a minimum of 50 minutes of therapy per week. 7. Mandating that all state and county correctional facilities provide at least one general high school equivalency class and ensure access to higher education. The overall goal of the bill is to establish robust protections and safeguards for prisoners in segregated confinement, with a focus on promoting their mental health, rehabilitation, and reintegration into the general prison population or the community.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H2504