Illinois law does not limit the length of time a person can be held in restrictive housing, also known as solitary confinement. There is no publicly available data about who is subjected to restrictive housing, why, and for how long.
An extensive body of research spanning more than 150 years has documented the detrimental effects of restrictive housing on the health and well-being of people who are incarcerated.
- Isolation can cause permanent damage to people’s brains, and virtually everyone who spends extended time in isolation suffers severe impacts on their mental and physical health. Research provides no conclusive evidence that restrictive housing makes facilities or communities safer.
- In Illinois, time spent in restrictive housing can last for days, weeks, months, years, or even decades. People can be confined to cells measuring 6 x 9 feet, smaller than the average parking space.
- Subjecting people to extreme isolation causes pain, suffering, and psychological trauma lasting for years beyond the person’s sentence. The negative repercussions of restrictive housing can persist well after release and impact our communities.
