California has gone through more changes on solitary confinement over the past decade than almost any other state -- and is still going. In 2012, nearly 10,000 people were in solitary confinement in California's prisons. Mass hunger strikes by prisoners at Pelican Bay State Prison and a landmark 2015 class action settlement (Ashker v. Governor) forced the first major rollback. A decade later, effective November 1, 2023, California overhauled the system again: consolidating six types of restricted housing into three, cutting the number of eligible offenses from 34 to 19, setting a minimum of 20 hours of out-of-cell time per week, banning consecutive terms, and making programming available inside the units.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) now calls isolated housing "Restricted Housing Units" (RHUs) -- the old terms Security Housing Unit (SHU) and Administrative Segregation Unit (ASU) are officially gone. The current population in RHUs is a fraction of what it was a decade ago. But advocacy groups argue the reforms don't go far enough, a legislative bill with stronger protections was vetoed by Governor Newsom, and the fight over what California's solitary confinement should look like continues.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in California
CDCR uses the term Restricted Housing Unit (RHU) for all forms of isolated confinement in state prisons. The November 2023 reforms consolidated the previous six RHU types into three:
General Population RHU (GP RHU): For people not in the Mental Health Service Delivery System (MHSDS). The standard RHU for people whose behavior has made them unsafe for general population.
Correctional Clinical Case Management System RHU (CCCMS RHU): For people at the CCCMS level of mental health care -- those receiving outpatient mental health services at the lowest level of clinical intensity.
Enhanced Outpatient Program RHU (EOP RHU): For people at the Enhanced Outpatient Program level of mental health care -- those requiring more intensive outpatient services. Previously called the EOP ASU or Psychiatric Services Unit (PSU).
These replaced the prior system which included ASUs, SHUs, PSUs, and variations within each. People who were in the previous units were transitioned to the new RHU structure. The old terms SHU, ASU, and PSU are still informally used in conversations and older records but are not the current official classification.
What Changed in November 2023
Effective November 1, 2023, CDCR filed emergency regulations implementing Governor Newsom's directive to reform restricted housing. The major changes:
Eligible offenses reduced: From 34 to 19 offenses that can result in an RHU term. Only offenses involving violence, threats of violence, or weapon possession remain on the RHU Term Matrix.
No consecutive terms: CDCR ended the practice of stacking consecutive RHU terms as punishment, which had allowed people to accumulate years of solitary time.
Minimum out-of-cell time: At least 20 hours per week for all people in RHU. This replaced the prior standard of one hour per day (7 hours per week).
Programming credit: For every 20 hours of completed coursework in approved program modules (like criminal thinking and anger management), a person can earn a five-day reduction in their RHU term, not to exceed 25% of the set term.
No RHU transfers: People will no longer be required to transfer between prisons to serve an RHU term.
No placement solely on gang validation: Codified from the 2015 Ashker settlement -- no one can be placed in an RHU solely on the basis of their Security Threat Group (STG) validation status.
Background: The Ashker v. Governor Settlement
The 2023 changes did not happen in isolation. They build on a decade of pressure that began with three mass hunger strikes at Pelican Bay State Prison in 2011 and 2013, during which thousands of people in solitary across California refused meals in protest.
In 2012, the Center for Constitutional Rights filed Ashker v. Governor of California as a class action on behalf of prisoners in Pelican Bay's Security Housing Unit. At the time, 9,870 men were in solitary confinement in CDCR. The SHU at Pelican Bay housed people in concrete cells with no windows, for 22 to 24 hours per day, for years and decades. Many were there because of alleged gang affiliation -- placed indefinitely based on confidential informants, drawings, tattoos, or associations.
In 2015, CDCR settled the case. Under the Ashker settlement:
- Indeterminate SHU placements were prohibited.
- Gang affiliation alone could no longer justify SHU placement.
- People who had spent 10 or more years in the SHU were reviewed and placed in general population or a new Restricted Custody General Population (RCGP) unit.
- Those who had spent the longest time were reviewed first.
The settlement reduced the SHU population dramatically. By June 2023, the number of people in all forms of segregated confinement in CDCR had dropped to 3,167 -- a reduction of more than two-thirds from the 2012 peak.
The 2022 Legislative Battle
In 2022, California advocates pushed Assembly Bill 2632, which would have limited solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days and banned it entirely for vulnerable populations including people under 26, over 65, pregnant or postpartum, with mental illness, with disabilities, and others.
Governor Newsom vetoed AB 2632 on September 29, 2022, calling it overly broad but acknowledging that "segregated confinement is ripe for reform." He directed CDCR to develop regulations instead, which became the November 2023 reform package. A similar bill was held in the 2023 legislative session after a court ruling and law enforcement opposition.
Who Can Be Placed in an RHU
Under the November 2023 regulations (15 Cal. Code Regs. Section 3335), an incarcerated person can be placed in an RHU when their presence in general population presents:
- An immediate threat to the safety of the person or others.
- A danger to institution security.
- A risk to the integrity of an investigation of alleged serious misconduct or criminal activity.
RHU terms are assessed based on the RHU Term Matrix, which now lists only 19 offenses -- all involving violence, threats of violence, or weapon possession. Non-Disciplinary Restricted Housing (NDRH) is used for administrative reasons including, but not limited to, pending investigation, pending transfer, or protective purposes.
Conditions in California RHUs
Under the current regulations, people in RHU receive:
- At least 20 hours per week out of cell (a major improvement from the pre-2023 minimum of about one hour per day).
- Access to rehabilitative and educational programs through approved program modules.
- Three meals per day (was previously two in some circumstances).
- Property access per the authorized personal property schedules for their RHU type.
- Mental health services appropriate to their MHSDS level of care.
People placed in Privilege Group C (for two specific sexual misconduct offenses not on the RHU matrix) lose visiting access and have limited canteen and phone access for up to 90 days.
CDCR publishes monthly Restricted Housing data reports tracking the population by institution, placement reason, and out-of-cell time. These are publicly available at cdcr.ca.gov.
How Long People Stay in RHUs
The November 2023 reforms replaced indeterminate SHU terms (ended by the Ashker settlement) with determinate RHU terms set by the RHU Term Matrix. Term lengths were also reduced -- many terms cut in half from pre-2023 levels.
No consecutive terms: CDCR can no longer stack consecutive RHU terms. If someone commits another qualifying offense while in RHU, the terms cannot be added together to create an extended total.
Programming can reduce terms: Completing approved program modules earns a 5-day reduction per 20 hours of coursework, up to 25% of the total term.
Administrative RHU (non-disciplinary): This status is reviewed by the Departmental Review Board (DRB) and requires ongoing justification. If the period of restricted housing exceeds 30 days, additional review procedures apply under 15 Cal. Code Regs. 3335.
Mental Health Protections
The three-tier RHU system (GP RHU, CCCMS RHU, EOP RHU) is specifically designed to ensure that people with mental health needs are housed in settings appropriate to their level of care, not in standard punitive RHUs.
People at the EOP level of care -- the most intensive outpatient setting -- are housed in EOP RHUs specifically structured to provide mental health programming within the restricted setting. Placement in a GP RHU for someone who needs EOP-level care is not supposed to occur.
The 2022 AB 2632 (vetoed) would have banned solitary entirely for people with serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, and several other vulnerable populations. The current regulations do not impose that ban but do ensure mental health level-of-care placement within the RHU system.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in an RHU in a California state prison:
Find your person's location. CDCR's offender locator is at cal.otis.cdcr.ca.gov. This confirms the facility where your person is housed.
Contact the facility. Each CDCR institution has a family visiting coordinator. Contact information for each institution is at cdcr.ca.gov. For RHU-specific questions about visiting, programming access, and property, the classification or housing unit staff are the point of contact.
Understand visiting in RHU. RHU placement restricts but does not automatically eliminate visiting. The rules depend on the type of RHU placement and the person's privilege group. In GP RHU, visiting may be non-contact or restricted. In CCCMS and EOP RHUs, visits may have additional clinical considerations. Contact the institution directly before traveling.
Mail and phone. Written mail has the strongest protections. Phone access may be restricted in RHU depending on privilege group assignment.
Monitor the public data. CDCR publishes monthly Restricted Housing data reports at cdcr.ca.gov. These cover population counts, placement reasons, and out-of-cell time tracking by institution. Reviewing these can give context for the system your person is in.
File a grievance. CDCR's grievance process (CDCR Form 602) must typically be exhausted before federal court. For urgent issues involving medical or mental health care, a healthcare appeal (Form 602-HC) may also be available.
Contact the Prison Law Office. The Prison Law Office (prisonlaw.com) has been a lead advocate for RHU reform in California and monitors CDCR conditions. They may be able to provide referrals or information.
Contact the Center for Constitutional Rights. The CCR led the Ashker litigation and continues to monitor California's compliance with the post-Ashker reforms. Contact at ccrjustice.org.
Contact the California Prison Policy Initiative or ACLU of California. For statewide advocacy and resources, these organizations track CDCR policy and can provide guidance.
Seek legal help. If your person is at the EOP level of mental health care and is being placed in conditions inconsistent with their care level, or if they have been in non-disciplinary restricted housing for an extended period without documented justification, consult a prisoner rights attorney.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in California prisons?
CDCR calls isolated confinement "Restricted Housing Units" (RHUs). The old terms -- Security Housing Unit (SHU), Administrative Segregation Unit (ASU), and Psychiatric Services Unit (PSU) -- were officially retired as part of the November 2023 reforms. There are now three RHU types: GP RHU (for people not in the mental health system), CCCMS RHU (for people receiving basic outpatient mental health services), and EOP RHU (for people needing enhanced outpatient mental health care).
What changed in California's solitary confinement in 2023?
Effective November 1, 2023, CDCR reduced eligible RHU offenses from 34 to 19 (violence and weapon possession only), set a minimum 20 hours per week out of cell, ended consecutive RHU terms, made programming available inside RHUs with credit toward early release from RHU, ended required prison transfers for RHU terms, and consolidated six RHU types into three. These changes came after Governor Newsom vetoed AB 2632 in 2022 and directed CDCR to reform through regulation.
Who can be placed in an RHU in California?
Under 15 Cal. Code Regs. 3335, placement requires that the person's presence in general population presents an immediate threat to safety, a danger to security, or a risk to the integrity of an investigation. Determinate RHU terms are assessed only for the 19 offenses on the RHU Term Matrix, all involving violence, threats, or weapons. No one can be placed in RHU solely based on gang validation status. Non-Disciplinary Restricted Housing (NDRH) is used for administrative purposes.
What are conditions like in California RHUs?
Under the 2023 regulations: at least 20 hours out-of-cell per week; three meals per day; access to rehabilitative program modules (with credit toward term reduction); property per the authorized schedule; and mental health services appropriate to the person's level of care. CDCR publishes monthly data on out-of-cell time and population at cdcr.ca.gov. Privilege Group C (limited to two specific sexual misconduct offenses) involves loss of visiting and limited phone and canteen access for up to 90 days.
How long can someone stay in solitary in California?
Determinate RHU terms are set by the RHU Term Matrix, with lengths reduced from pre-2023 levels. Terms can be reduced by up to 25% by completing approved programming (5 days off per 20 hours of coursework). Consecutive terms are no longer allowed. Non-Disciplinary Restricted Housing requires periodic review; placements over 30 days require additional documentation. There is no statutory cap on NDRH duration, but documented justification is required.
What is the Ashker v. Governor settlement?
Ashker v. Governor of California was a class action lawsuit filed in 2012 by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of prisoners in Pelican Bay's Security Housing Unit. A 2015 settlement ended indeterminate SHU placements, ended placement based solely on gang affiliation, and required review and release of long-term SHU prisoners to general population or a non-solitary alternative. It was a landmark shift that reduced California's solitary population from nearly 10,000 in 2012 to around 3,000 by 2023.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in CA?
Partially. The three-tier RHU system is designed to ensure people with mental health needs are housed in appropriate RHU types (CCCMS RHU or EOP RHU) rather than in standard GP RHUs. EOP-level individuals require the most intensive outpatient structure. AB 2632 (vetoed 2022) would have banned solitary entirely for people with serious mental illness and other vulnerable populations -- that protection is not currently in law or regulation.
What programming is available in California RHUs?
People in RHU can access approved program modules including criminal thinking and anger management. For every 20 hours of completed coursework, they earn a five-day reduction in their RHU term, capped at 25% of the total term. CDCR describes RHUs as "specialized programming units" to emphasize that some rehabilitative services continue inside restricted housing. CCCMS and EOP RHUs have mental health programming integrated into the unit design.
Can families visit someone in a California RHU?
RHU placement restricts visiting but does not automatically eliminate it. The rules depend on the type of RHU and the person's privilege group. In GP RHU, visits may be non-contact. In CCCMS and EOP RHUs, clinical staff may be involved in visiting decisions. People in Privilege Group C lose visiting access entirely for up to 90 days. Always contact the facility's family visiting coordinator at cdcr.ca.gov before traveling.
What can families do if someone is in a CA RHU?
Use CDCR's offender locator at cal.otis.cdcr.ca.gov to find your person's facility. Review CDCR's monthly Restricted Housing data reports at cdcr.ca.gov for system context. Contact the facility directly about visiting, programming, and property rules. Help your person file CDCR grievances (Form 602). Contact the Prison Law Office (prisonlaw.com) or Center for Constitutional Rights (ccrjustice.org) for advocacy information. If your person is EOP level and being housed inconsistently with their care level, consult a prisoner rights attorney. ---