I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7424 
To reduce instances of placement of inmates in restrictive housing, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2022 
Mr. GOHMERT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce instances of placement of inmates in restrictive 
housing, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Solitary Confinement 
Reform Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Restrictive housing takes many forms, and 
the experience in segregation can vary considerably 
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depending on certain external factors, such as the 
length of stay, conditions of confinement, and degree 
of social isolation, as well as factors specific to each 
confined person, such as age and psychological resil-
iency. 
(2) Confined individuals located in restrictive 
housing broadly express severe psychological disturb-
ances with lasting detrimental consequences as a re-
sult of their experience in security housing units. 
The Stanford Lab’s interviews revealed a range of 
common impairments and adverse consequences as-
sociated with long-term, indefinite incarceration. 
(3) The majority of confined members endorsed 
feeling mood symptoms consistent with the Diag-
nostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 
(DSM 5) diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, 
including depressed mood, hopelessness, anger, irri-
tability, anhedonia, anger, fatigue, feelings of guilt, 
loss of appetite, and insomnia. 
(4) Nearly all members also endorsed a sense of 
anxiety symptoms characteristic of DSM 5 diagnoses 
of panic disorder, traumatic stress disorders, and/or 
obsessive-compulsive disorders, such as nervousness, 
worry, increased heart rate and respiration, sweat-
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ing, muscle tension, hyperarousal, paranoia, night-
mares, intrusive thoughts, and fear of losing control. 
(5) Psychiatric symptoms and diminished ca-
pacity for socialization continue to cause psycho-
logical suffering and problems with social function 
for most of the men now in general population. 
(6) Confined members cited emotional numbing 
and desensitization as some of the most common re-
sponses to living in SHU. 
(7) This sense of emotional suppression and 
dysregulation continues to be problematic for pris-
oners following the transition to the general popu-
lation. Class members also reported significant alter-
ations in cognition and perception. 
(8) Problems with attention, concentration, and 
memory were common, and described as persistent 
and worsening. 
(9) Some of the most pronounced and enduring 
effects of long-term isolation appeared to have re-
sulted from relational estrangement and social isola-
tion; prisoners frequently reported losing, over time, 
the motivation to seek social connection. 
SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON CONFINEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Inmates shall be housed in the 
least restrictive setting necessary to ensure their own safe-
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ty, as well as the safety of staff, other inmates, and the 
public. 
(b) REASONING.—The head of a covered facility shall 
clearly articulate each specific reason for an inmate’s 
placement and retention in restrictive housing. Each such 
reason shall be supported by objective evidence that such 
placement and retention is necessary— 
(1) for prison safety or order; 
(2) to prevent gang influence; 
(3) for inmate or staff protection; and 
(4) such other penological purpose as the head 
of such facility may determine is appropriate. 
(c) PENOLOGICAL PURPOSE.—Restrictive housing 
may only be used to eliminate or mitigate a specific facility 
threat such as a fight between inmates or the threat of 
imminent danger to inmates or staff. 
(d) LIMITATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Inmates shall remain in re-
strictive housing for no longer than necessary to ad-
dress each specific reason for such placement. 
(2) PUNISHMENT.—Inmates may not be placed 
in restrictive housing— 
(A) as a form of punishment or deterrence; 
(B) for low-level offenses that do not in-
volve physical violence to staff or inmates; or 
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(C) for more than 5 days as a part of a 
routine investigation or more than 15 days as 
part of a non-routine investigation, as deter-
mined by the Official concerned, absent docu-
mented extenuating circumstances. 
SEC. 4. REVIEW OF PLACEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An institutional review panel of 
a covered facility shall review the placement of an inmate 
in restrictive housing not later than 15 days after such 
placement and not less than every 15 days thereafter until 
such time as the inmate is removed from restrictive hous-
ing. 
(b) REMOVAL PLAN.—The head of each covered facil-
ity shall make a plan for the return of the inmate to less 
restrictive conditions and shall share such plan with the 
inmate, unless sharing such plan would put the health and 
safety of the inmate, staff, other inmates, or the public 
at risk. 
SEC. 5. EMPLOYEE TRAINING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Official concerned shall en-
sure that the staff of each facility is trained on use of 
force and restrictive housing policies not less than quar-
terly. 
(b) HOUSING POLICY TRAINING.—The Official con-
cerned shall ensure that the staff of each covered facility 
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complies with restrictive housing policies and that such 
policies are reflected in employee evaluation systems. 
(c) STANDING COMMITTEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Official concerned shall 
establish in each covered facility a standing com-
mittee, consisting of high-level correctional officials, 
active or retired, to regularly evaluate existing re-
strictive housing policies. 
(2) DUTIES.—Each standing committee shall— 
(A) review use of force and abuse allega-
tions to include body cam footage and closed- 
circuit video footage of any use of force or 
abuse allegation; 
(B) submit redacted written recommenda-
tions on preventing unlawful use of force or 
abuse to— 
(i) the Department of Justice; 
(ii) the Committees on the Judiciary 
of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate; and 
(iii) the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the House of Representatives and 
the Senate; and 
(C) assist covered facilities in developing 
safe and effective alternatives to restrictive 
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housing and share with other covered facilities 
and State prison facilities best practices for use 
of force to ensure safety for staff and confined 
individuals. 
SEC. 6. GRADUAL RETURN TO GENERAL POPULATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Absent a compelling reason as de-
termined by the Official concerned, the head of a covered 
facility may not release inmates directly from restrictive 
housing to the general inmate population. 
(b) GRADUATED SYSTEM.—The head of a covered fa-
cility shall consult with mental health professionals to en-
sure that shock of removal from isolation will not cause 
harm to the confined individual or the general inmate pop-
ulation. 
SEC. 7. ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, each Official concerned 
shall establish policies to increase the minimum amount 
of time inmates in restrictive housing spend outside their 
cells to 3 hours per day, including weekends and holidays, 
and to offer enhanced in-cell opportunities. 
(b) MINIMUM RESTRAINT.—The Official concerned 
shall afford to individuals in restrictive housing edu-
cational opportunities, using the minimum amount of pro-
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tective restraint necessary to ensure safety of staff, popu-
lation, and educational professionals. 
(c) OUT-OF-CELL TIME.—The Official concerned 
shall make available to the inmates opportunities for 
recreation, education, clinically appropriate treatment 
therapies, skill-building, and social interaction with staff 
and other inmates. 
(d) LOWER-RISK INDIVIDUALS.—The Official con-
cerned shall ensure that lower-risk individuals may con-
duct recreation time in such group size as the facility de-
termines appropriate. 
(e) EXPANSION.—The Official concerned shall in-
crease the ability of covered facilities to divert inmates 
with serious mental illness to mental health treatment pro-
grams or facilities when needed to serve the interest of 
the facility and the inmate. 
(f) FINAL DAYS OF IMPRISONMENT.—The Official 
concerned shall establish policies to— 
(1) prohibit the placement of inmates in restric-
tive housing during the final 180 days of the term 
of imprisonment of such inmate; and 
(2) provide targeted re-entry programming for 
inmates who require restrictive housing during the 
such final 180-day period. 
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