Bill > A5529

This bill requires the Department of Corrections (DOC) to modify its existing regulations about isolated confinement to explicitly include reporting requirements for incidents of suicide and self-harm among inmates in Restorative Housing Units (RHUs), which are specialized units where inmates are separated from the general prison population as a disciplinary measure. Specifically, the bill amends previous legislation by mandating that the DOC post quarterly reports on its official website that include non-identifying data about self-harm, suicide, and assault incidents in both isolated confinement and RHUs. The reports must break down the data by demographic characteristics like age, sex, gender identity, and ethnicity, and provide cumulative counts of inmates exposed to these housing conditions. The bill also reinforces existing provisions about staff training, documentation of confinement decisions, and monitoring of confinement units, with an emphasis on using less restrictive interventions and understanding inmates' potential mental health challenges. The new regulations will take effect 90 days after the bill is enacted, and they aim to increase transparency and oversight of disciplinary housing practices in correctional facilities across New Jersey.

Government Affairs

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2024/A5529