Connecticut has one of the more complicated recent histories on solitary confinement reform. The state's strongest reform bill -- the PROTECT Act -- passed the legislature in 2021 with bipartisan support and was vetoed by Governor Ned Lamont. He issued an executive order instead, which advocates widely criticized as full of loopholes. In 2022, the legislature passed a modified version -- Public Act 22-18 -- which Lamont signed. The law limits isolated confinement to 15 consecutive days or 30 total days in any 60-day period, applies statewide (including pretrial detention in jails), and includes specific protections for vulnerable populations. But Stop Solitary CT and the ACLU of Connecticut argue the law still does not go far enough because it lacks independent oversight and contains "imminent danger" exceptions that critics say are routinely exploited.
The racial disparity backdrop is sharp: in 2019, Connecticut was identified as the worst state in the nation for the disproportionate assignment of Black men to solitary confinement relative to the overall incarcerated population.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Connecticut
The Connecticut DOC and Connecticut law use the term "isolated confinement" -- defined as housing a person in a cell for more than 22 hours per day. This is the language used in Public Act 22-18 and its successor regulations.
The DOC has historically used other terms for various housing statuses -- including Administrative Segregation (AS), Punitive Segregation (PS), and Chronic Discipline Unit -- but Public Act 22-18 applies to "isolated confinement" as a defined category.
Prior to the 2021 executive order and 2022 law, Governor Lamont acknowledged a practice known as "extraordinary circumstances lockdowns," in which facilities were placed under conditions equivalent to solitary confinement without formally being designated as isolated confinement. Advocates raised this as a key loophole.
What Public Act 22-18 Requires
Public Act 22-18, signed by Governor Lamont in May 2022 and largely codifying his 2021 executive order, establishes the following requirements for all Connecticut state prisons and jails:
15-day consecutive limit: No person may be held in isolated confinement for more than 15 consecutive days.
30-day-in-60 cap: No person may be held in isolated confinement for more than 30 total days within any 60-day period.
Scope: The limits apply to persons in pretrial, presentencing, and post-conviction confinement -- meaning they cover both jails and state prisons.
Required out-of-cell time: The law and implementing regulations require a minimum of out-of-cell time during isolated confinement. (The executive order set 4 hours per day for general population; verify current regulatory standard at publish.)
The law also includes requirements for mental health screening, documentation, and review when someone is placed in isolated confinement.
Who Can Be Placed in Isolated Confinement
Under Connecticut law and DOC policy, isolated confinement is used for people who pose an immediate threat to safety or security, pending a disciplinary hearing (for administrative placement), or as a disciplinary sanction following a hearing.
The law includes protections for vulnerable populations (discussed below) but does not ban isolated confinement outright -- it limits its duration and requires heightened justification for continued placement.
Conditions in CT Isolated Confinement
Under the 15-day maximum created by Public Act 22-18, conditions during isolated confinement include:
Out-of-cell time: At minimum 4 hours per day for the general population under the executive order baseline; DOC policy implementing the statute specifies the current standard (verify at publish).
Mental health: DOC policy requires mental health screening before placement and ongoing monitoring during isolated confinement.
Documentation: The law requires documentation of the reasons for placement and review of continued placements.
Advocates from Stop Solitary CT have documented that even during isolated confinement within the 15-day limit, conditions can be highly restrictive -- no programming, no contact visits, limited phone access -- and that "extraordinary circumstances" lockdowns can effectively extend isolation beyond what the 15-day rule on paper would suggest.
How Long People Can Stay in Isolated Confinement
Public Act 22-18 sets the statutory limits: 15 consecutive days and 30 total days in any 60-day period.
These limits apply across all Connecticut detention -- pretrial, presentencing, and post-conviction. Before this law, Connecticut had no statutory cap on isolated confinement duration. People were held in administrative segregation for months or years.
The 15-day limit aligns Connecticut with the UN Mandela Rules standard (which the Stop Solitary CT campaign specifically sought). However, advocates argue that "extraordinary circumstances" exceptions and lockdown practices can effectively circumvent these limits.
Protections for Vulnerable Groups
Public Act 22-18 includes heightened protections for certain groups, prohibiting or strictly limiting isolated confinement for:
- People with serious mental illness (SMI)
- Pregnant or postpartum people
- People with intellectual disabilities
- Juveniles (under 18)
- Elderly people (60 and over in some provisions)
The specific terms and conditions for these protections are in the statute and implementing regulations. Advocates have criticized the "imminent danger" exception that applies to some of these categories -- allowing isolated confinement for protected groups when the person poses an imminent danger, which critics argue is interpreted too broadly.
Reynolds v. Arnone
Reynolds v. Arnone is a federal court case in Connecticut (U.S. District Court) in which a court ordered sweeping changes to Connecticut's use of solitary confinement, including strict time limits, mandatory mental health assessments, and regular reviews for people placed in isolation. The case predates Public Act 22-18 and was one of the legal pressures that contributed to reform momentum in the state. Advocates reference Reynolds v. Arnone as establishing that Connecticut's prior practices were legally problematic and judicially actionable.
The PROTECT Act and Its Veto
The original 2021 PROTECT Act (SB 1059 -- Promoting Responsible Oversight, Treatment, and Ensuring Correctional Transparency) passed the Connecticut House and Senate in June 2021 with bipartisan support. Governor Lamont vetoed it on June 30, 2021 -- his only veto that year. He issued an executive order in its place that advocates said contained significant loopholes.
The 2022 version of the PROTECT Act was modified -- notably extending the proposed maximum from 3 to 15 days (to align more closely with the executive order) and reducing the minimum out-of-cell time from 6.5 to 5 hours per day. Public Act 22-18 passed with the 15-day limit and Lamont signed it.
Key missing elements that advocates (Stop Solitary CT) say the enacted law lacks:
- Independent oversight: The 2021 PROTECT Act would have created an independent ombudsman for the DOC. Public Act 22-18 does not include this. DOC remains responsible for monitoring its own compliance.
- Enforcement: Without an independent oversight body, enforcement relies on the DOC itself and on litigation.
Racial Disparities
In 2019, Connecticut was identified as the worst state in the nation for the disproportionate assignment of Black men to solitary confinement relative to the overall incarcerated population, according to data cited by the ACLU of Connecticut. This racial disparity has been a central argument for reform by Stop Solitary CT and allied organizations.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in isolated confinement in a Connecticut state prison or jail:
Find your person's location. The Connecticut DOC provides an offender search at ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us. This confirms facility placement.
Contact the facility. Each Connecticut DOC facility has administrative staff. Contact them to confirm current housing status, the stated reason for isolated confinement, and visiting/communication rules during isolation.
Know the legal limits. Under Public Act 22-18, isolated confinement is capped at 15 consecutive days and 30 total days in any 60-day period. If your person has been in isolated confinement beyond these limits, document this and raise it through the grievance process and with an attorney.
Understand visiting during isolated confinement. Visiting is typically restricted during isolated confinement. Contact the facility directly to confirm current visiting status before traveling.
Mail and phone. Written mail has stronger protections than phone calls during isolated confinement. Legal mail is additionally protected.
File a grievance. DOC has an internal grievance process. The person in custody must typically exhaust this process before filing in court. Help your person understand the process and track timelines.
Contact Stop Solitary CT. Stop Solitary CT (stopsolitaryct.org) is the primary statewide advocacy organization on this issue and may be able to provide referrals, information, or support.
Contact the ACLU of Connecticut. The ACLU of CT (acluct.org) has advocated for the PROTECT Act and monitors Connecticut DOC conditions.
Seek legal help. If your person is a member of a protected group (SMI, pregnant, juvenile, elderly, intellectually disabled) and is in isolated confinement in potential violation of Public Act 22-18's protections, or if the 15-day or 30-in-60 limits have been exceeded, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Connecticut courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Connecticut prisons?
Connecticut law uses the term "isolated confinement" -- defined as housing a person in a cell for more than 22 hours per day. This is the term used in Public Act 22-18. The DOC has historically used administrative segregation, punitive segregation, and chronic discipline unit as internal designations, but the statutory framework uses "isolated confinement" as the regulated category.
What did Public Act 22-18 change in Connecticut?
Public Act 22-18, signed May 2022, limits isolated confinement to 15 consecutive days and 30 total days in any 60-day period. It applies statewide to pretrial, presentencing, and post-conviction confinement. It includes protections for vulnerable populations (SMI, pregnant, juveniles, elderly, intellectually disabled), requires minimum out-of-cell time, mandates mental health screening and documentation, and codified into law what had previously been only an executive order.
Who can be placed in isolated confinement in Connecticut?
People who pose an immediate threat to safety or security, who are pending a disciplinary hearing, or who have received a disciplinary sanction following a hearing can be placed in isolated confinement. Public Act 22-18 limits but does not ban isolated confinement. Vulnerable populations have additional protections with an imminent danger exception that advocates have criticized as too broad.
How long can someone be in solitary in Connecticut?
Under Public Act 22-18: no more than 15 consecutive days and no more than 30 total days in any 60-day period. This applies to all confinement -- pretrial, presentencing, and post-conviction. Before this law, there was no statutory duration limit on isolated confinement in Connecticut. The 15-day cap aligns with the UN Mandela Rules standard that advocates sought.
What are conditions like in CT isolated confinement?
The 15-day maximum means conditions are short-term by design. Required minimum out-of-cell time applies during isolated confinement. Mental health screening and ongoing monitoring are required. Advocates from Stop Solitary CT have documented that even within the 15-day limit, conditions can be highly restrictive, and that "extraordinary circumstances" lockdowns can create effective isolation beyond what the formal rule suggests.
Are vulnerable groups protected from solitary in CT?
Yes, with caveats. Public Act 22-18 prohibits or strictly limits isolated confinement for people with serious mental illness, pregnant or postpartum people, people with intellectual disabilities, juveniles, and elderly people. However, an "imminent danger" exception applies to these protections, which advocates say is too broadly interpreted and undermines the protections in practice.
What is Reynolds v. Arnone about?
Reynolds v. Arnone is a federal court case in Connecticut in which a court ordered sweeping changes to the state's solitary confinement practices, including strict time limits, mandatory mental health assessments, and regular reviews for people in isolation. The case was an important legal precedent that contributed to reform pressure in Connecticut prior to the passage of Public Act 22-18.
What is the PROTECT Act and why was it vetoed?
The 2021 PROTECT Act (SB 1059) passed the Connecticut legislature with bipartisan support but was vetoed by Governor Lamont on June 30, 2021 -- his only veto that year. He issued an executive order instead. Key provisions that advocates most valued -- particularly an independent ombudsman for DOC oversight -- were absent from both the executive order and the eventual Public Act 22-18. A 2022 version of the PROTECT Act became the basis for Public Act 22-18, but with the independent oversight mechanism removed.
Can families visit someone in CT isolated confinement?
Visiting is typically restricted during isolated confinement. Contact the specific facility directly to confirm current visiting rules before making a trip. DOC facility contact information is at ct.gov/doc. Written mail retains stronger protections than phone or visits during isolation.
What can families do if someone is in CT solitary?
Use the CT DOC offender search at ctinmateinfo.state.ct.us to find your person. Contact the facility to confirm the stated reason for isolated confinement and current rules. Know the 15-day consecutive and 30-in-60-day limits under Public Act 22-18 and document any placements that exceed them. Help your person file grievances through DOC's administrative process. Contact Stop Solitary CT (stopsolitaryct.org) or the ACLU of Connecticut (acluct.org) for advocacy information and referrals. If limits have been exceeded or your person is a protected group member in isolation, consult a prisoner rights attorney. ---
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