Policy Brief Draft
Policy Brief Draft
Policy Brief Draft
individuals
$25,000 vs. $127,671
600 inmates currently United States Norway
subjected to solitary Other countries such as Norway invest more capital into their
prison system leading to:
3
confinement in WA State 1
Economic Impact
A year in solitary confinement in the United States costs
an average of $75,000 per prisoner, which is: 15
Social Impact
and Vera Institute of Justice (similar measures
for solitary confinement to that of HB 1087).
Data showed 57% reduction in serious staff
assaults and 45% reduction in self-harm/suicide Similar bills passed recently in Washington include: HB 1312: 2021-
attempts over the course of the project. 2 22 (restricting use of solitary confinement), and HB 2277: 2020
(prohibits use of solitary confinement in juvenile facilities).
11% recidivism rate reduction in Washington Interviews with DOC staff reported “less day-to-day violence and
10
after transition plan implementation more person-to-person humanity” as a result of DOC reform
efforts to reduce the use of solitary confinement over the past 15
A retrospective research study from the years. 16
University of Washington found that within the A meta-analysis related to the mental health impacts of solitary
state, implementation of a transition plan confinement concluded that, “solitary confinement is associated
brought elevated recidivism rates for individuals with psychological deterioration...this effect appears to be beyond
placed in solitary confinement (53%) back down that of general incarceration or presence of prior mental illness”. 11
10
to that of the general prison population (42%). This Bill may decrease mental health issues and suicidal ideations
for those who have experienced solitary confinement. 4
Policy
Ethical Impacts
Recommendations
HB 1087 could significantly improve the mental The policy adheres to the ethical principle of autonomy:
health outcomes of prisoners who have previously
Prisoner has personal choice to request solitary
or are currently in solitary confinement. We urge 8
confinement
Washington state legislators to implement this bill
Prisoner can revoke their decision at any time 8
with the following additions:
Urge Legislature to provide additional funding The policy demonstrates beneficence by putting the
for the staffing of both qualified medical prisoner’s best interests first:
providers and prison officers to carry out the
duties of the policy, as a common criticism of
this Bill is that there are not enough workers to
References
1. Ban Long-Term Solitary Confinement. (n.d.). Disability Rights Washington. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/ban-solitary-confinement/#:~:text=More%20than%20600%20people%20are%20currently%20in%20solitary
2. Darneille J., Nguyne J. (2021). Safe Prisons, Safe Communities: From Isolation to Dignity and Wellness Behind Bars Closing Memo. Vera Institute of Justice. https://www.doc.wa.gov/corrections/incarceration/docs/restrictive-housing-vera-institute-of-justice-closing-memo.pdf
3. De Vaulx, J. (2022, October 25). What Can We Learn From the Norwegian Prison System – Berkeley Political Review. Berkely Political Review. https://bpr.berkeley.edu/2022/10/25/what-can-we-learn-from-the-norwegian-prison-system/
4. Executive Order 16-05 Report Building Safe and Strong Communities Through Successful Reentry.(2017). Office of Governor Jay Inslee.https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/ExecutiveOrder1605AnnualReport.pdf
5. Fenster, A. (2020, October 13). New data: Solitary confinement increases risk of premature death after release. Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2020/10/13/solitary_mortality_risk/
6. Fiscal Note Package 67228. (n.d.). Washington State Legislature. Multiple Agency Fiscal Note Summary. https://fnspublic.ofm.wa.gov/FNSPublicSearch/GetPDF?packageID=67228
7. Grierson, J. (2019, November 18). Freed prisoners killing themselves at a rate of one every two days. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/18/freed-prisoners-killing-themselves-at-a-rate-of-one-every-two-days
8. H.B. 1087, 68th Legislature, 2023 Regular Session. (Wash. 2023). https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1087&Year=2023&Initiative=false
9. Labrecque, R. M., Tostlebe, J. J., Useem, B., & Pyrooz, D. C. (2021). Reforming solitary confinement: The development, implementation, and processes of a restrictive housing step down reentry program in Oregon. Health & Justice, 9(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-021-
00151-9
10. Lovell D., Clark Johnson L., Cain K.C. (2007). Recidivism of Supermax Prisoners in Washington State. Crime & Delinquency. 53(4):633-656. https://heinonline-org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/HOL/Page?
lname=&public=false&collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/cadq53&men_hide=false&men_tab=toc&kind=&page=633
11. Luigi M., Dellazizzo L., Giguere C. E., et al. (2020). Shedding Light on "the Hole": A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Adverse Psychological Effects and Mortality Following Solitary Confinement in Correctional Settings. Front Psychiatry.
11:840.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468496/
12. NAACP. (2022, November 4). Criminal justice fact sheet. NAACP. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet
13. MADEO. (2022, October 14). Solitary Confinement Facts. American Friends Service Committee. https://afsc.org/solitary-confinement-facts#:~:text=A%3A%20Numerous%20studies%20have%20documented%20the%20harmful%20psychological
14. Pullen-Blasnik, H., Simes, J. T., & Western, B. (2021, November 26). The population prevalence of solitary confinement. ScienceAdvances. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj1928
15. Reiter, K. (2018, November 22). The Root of America’s Over-Use of Solitary Confinements in Prison-and how Reform can Happen. Scholars Strategy Network. https://scholars.org/brief/root-americas-over-use-solitary-confinements-prison-and-how-reform-can-happen
16. Reiter K., Chesnut K., Gonzalez G., et al. (2021). Reducing Restrictive Housing Use in Washington State: Results from the 2016-2020 Study "Understanding and Replicating Washington State's Segregation Reduction Programs," Contract No. K11273.
https://www.doc.wa.gov/corrections/incarceration/docs/restrictive-housing-university-california-irvine-report.pdf
17. Western, B., Simes, J. T., & Bradner, K. (2022). Solitary confinement and institutional harm. Incarceration, 3(1), 263266632110656. https://doi.org/10.1177/26326663211065644
18.