Bill > B26-0028

This bill, known as the Eliminating Restrictive and Segregated Enclosures (ERASE) Solitary Confinement Act of 2025, seeks to significantly reform solitary confinement practices in the District of Columbia's correctional facilities. The bill prohibits prolonged confinement for most purposes, allowing exceptions only for medical isolation and suicide watch, and establishes strict guidelines for these limited circumstances. It mandates that residents receive at least 8 hours of out-of-cell time daily, ensures appropriate healthcare for incarcerated individuals, and requires detailed reporting on the use of confinement. The legislation defines key terms like "prolonged confinement" and "safe cell," and establishes comprehensive protections for residents' mental and physical health, including provisions for continuous observation during suicide precaution and watch, limitations on physical restraints, and requirements for immediate transfer to a hospital if appropriate care cannot be provided. Notably, the bill creates a private right of action for residents, allowing them to sue for damages if the law is violated, and requires the Department of Corrections to develop and publish a plan to eliminate prolonged confinement, including detailed quarterly reports on its use, broken down by demographic and situational factors. The goal is to reduce the harmful psychological impacts of isolation and ensure more humane treatment of incarcerated individuals.

Justice

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0028