End Solitary Confinement Act
Key claim: The bill would ban most solitary confinement in federal prisons, require at least 14 hours a day of group time out of cells, tie Byrne JAG funding to similar state and local rules, and let prisoners sue for mental or emotional harm from solitary.
Abstract
(HR4682 · 119th Congress) End Solitary Confinement Act This bill restricts the use of solitary confinement and establishes minimum standards for incarceration at the federal, state, and local levels. At the federal level, the bill generally prohibits the use of solitary confinement in federal facilities with limited exceptions, such as if necessary to de-escalate an emergency situation. The bill also establishes minimum standards for incarceration, including at least 14 hours per day of out-of-cell congregate interaction in a shared space that is conducive to meaningful group interaction. The bill requires state and local governments to implement laws, policies, and programs that substantially comply with the restrictions on solitary confinement and minimum standards for incarceration in order to receive full funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The bill establishes an independent community monitoring body, as well as an advisory body of stakeholders, to help provide oversight. Finally, the bill allows a prisoner to file a federal civil action for mental or emotional injury suffered if there is a prior showing of placement in solitary confinement or an alternative unit. Latest action (2025-07-23): Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Why this matters
Solitary confinement is one of the most contested practices in U.S. corrections, with mental-health researchers, advocates, and some corrections officials warning that prolonged isolation causes lasting psychological harm, while others argue it is necessary for prison safety. A federal cap on isolation hours plus a mandated minimum of group time would set a nationwide floor for conditions of confinement, and the Byrne JAG linkage would extend pressure to state and local jails that hold the bulk of the incarcerated population. The private right of action for mental or emotional harm is also significant because it would partially override the Prison Litigation Reform Act’s physical-injury requirement that typically blocks such suits.