Florida is an outlier on solitary confinement. While many states have moved to reduce the use of isolated housing over the past decade, Florida has not. The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) holds more than 10% of its incarcerated population in some form of solitary confinement -- more than twice the national average of 4.5%. Florida has no state law excluding mentally ill people, pregnant women, or juveniles from solitary. Reform bills have repeatedly died in committee. And the FDC's signature isolation status -- Close Management -- operates as a three-level system that can keep people in single-cell confinement for years.
This guide explains how Florida's four types of restrictive housing work, what conditions are like, what the courts have said, and what families can do.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Florida
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) uses four official types of restrictive housing, each governed by Florida Administrative Code (FAC) Chapter 33:
Administrative Confinement (AC) -- Rule 33-602.220: Temporary separation from general population for security and safety while a more permanent management decision is being made. Not punitive. Used pending a disciplinary hearing, a referral to Close Management, a transfer, or as a holding status during investigations.
Disciplinary Confinement (DC) -- Rule 33-602.222: Punitive confinement following a guilty finding at a disciplinary hearing. Time-limited based on the sanction imposed.
Close Management (CM) -- Rule 33-601.800: The most significant and most used form of long-term isolation in Florida. A management status for people who, through their behavior, have demonstrated an inability to live in general population without abusing the rights and privileges of others. There are three levels (CM1, CM2, CM3) ranging from most to least restrictive.
Protective Management (PM) -- Rule 33-602.221: Separation from general population for people who face threats to their safety. Explicitly non-punitive. People in protective management are supposed to be treated as close to general population as safety concerns permit.
What Is Close Management -- CM1, CM2, and CM3
Close Management is Florida's long-term isolation status and the one families most need to understand.
CM1 (Close Management I) is the most restrictive single-cell housing in the FDC system. A person assigned to CM1 is ineligible for work assignments. Placement can be ordered without a prior step through CM2 or CM3. CM1 is reserved for the most serious behavioral concerns: acts causing death or injury, assault or battery on staff causing injury, hostage-taking or attempts, instigation or incitement of riots, property damage over $1,000, and similar serious incidents.
CM2 (Close Management II) is the middle tier. Like CM1, it can be imposed without a prior step through CM3. It covers serious but somewhat less extreme behavioral concerns.
CM3 (Close Management III) is the least restrictive of the three levels and is typically where people move as they progress toward return to general population.
Movement between CM levels is reviewed by the Institutional Classification Team (ICT), which includes the warden or assistant warden, the classification supervisor, the chief of security, and other members as needed. The ICT's stated goal is to reduce a person's status to the lowest management level possible or return them to general population as soon as the facts support it.
Who Gets Placed in Restrictive Housing
Administrative Confinement is used when someone poses an immediate security risk, is pending a disciplinary hearing, needs protection, or is awaiting transfer. It is a temporary holding status, not a long-term placement.
Disciplinary Confinement follows a guilty finding at a disciplinary hearing. The person receives notice of the charge, the right to be heard, and a written decision.
Close Management is initiated when the ICT determines someone cannot safely live in general population. This is a classification decision, not a disciplinary one, though it often follows a serious disciplinary incident. Criteria for CM1 include acts causing death or injury, assault on staff causing injury, instigation of riots, and related conduct. CM2 criteria include patterns of predatory behavior, threats of violence, and escape attempts.
As of the 2019 Melendez class action filing, FDC had no written policies excluding vulnerable populations -- including people with serious mental illness, intellectual disabilities, pregnant women, or juveniles -- from Close Management or other forms of solitary confinement.
Conditions in Florida Restrictive Housing
People in Close Management are confined to a single cell for approximately 22 to 24 hours per day. Under FAC Rule 33-601.800, CM cells must be equipped with toilet facilities and running water for drinking and sanitary purposes. Water can be turned off if a person intentionally clogs the toilet or sink.
Programming and privileges vary by CM level and individual behavioral history, but generally:
- People in CM1 are ineligible for work assignments.
- Access to education, congregate religious services, and group programming is eliminated or severely restricted.
- Phone and visitation access is limited and in many cases requires advance warden approval.
- Property, commissary, and recreation access are restricted compared to general population.
Mental health services in Close Management: FDC policy requires that an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) be developed for each CM person who has a mental health condition or is at significant risk of developing one. Cells must be equipped for suicide monitoring. Administrative Confinement policy requires a psychological screening assessment for anyone held more than 30 days. However, the adequacy of mental health care in Florida's restrictive housing has been a central issue in federal litigation.
How Long People Stay in Restrictive Housing
Administrative Confinement is meant to be temporary. The ICT is supposed to review and resolve the case as quickly as possible.
Disciplinary Confinement has a time limit set at the disciplinary hearing.
Close Management has no statutory time limit. A person can remain in CM status -- at any level -- for months or years depending on ICT review outcomes and the person's behavior. The ICT is required to conduct weekly check-ins and periodic formal reviews, but the standard for reduction or release is the ICT's judgment about safety.
There is no cap in Florida law on the total duration of Close Management. Florida has no statutory requirement to step someone out of solitary before releasing them to the community.
Due Process Before Placement
Administrative Confinement does not require a prior hearing. It is a management status and FDC can place someone in it and notify them afterward.
Close Management requires an ICT hearing. The person is given advance notice of the CM hearing and is permitted to have a staff member assist them at the hearing -- though that staff member is not an advocate or defense attorney. The ICT reviews all relevant information including mental health assessments and a Behavioral Risk Assessment (BRA). If the person waives presence or is removed for disruptive behavior, the hearing proceeds in their absence.
Disciplinary Confinement requires a formal disciplinary hearing with notice, opportunity to be heard, and a written decision.
Protections for Vulnerable Populations
Florida law and FDC policy do not exclude people with serious mental illness, pregnant women, or juveniles from Close Management or other forms of solitary confinement. This is the core allegation in both the adult and juvenile solitary confinement lawsuits against FDC.
People in Close Management who have mental health needs are supposed to receive services through an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) and be allowed out of their cells for scheduled mental health appointments unless they have posed a danger in the past four hours. Mental health staff are required to visit CM units. But there is no blanket prohibition on placing mentally ill people in solitary, and no step-down requirement before release to community.
Recent Reforms and Ongoing Litigation
Melendez v. Florida Department of Corrections (MacArthur Justice Center, filed 2019): A class action lawsuit alleging FDC "widely overuses" solitary confinement and has no policies to exclude vulnerable populations. The suit was filed on behalf of people with serious mental illness and others who have been in Close Management for extended periods. In August 2024, the Eleventh Circuit dismissed defendants' appeals for lack of jurisdiction, allowing the case to continue in the district court. The case remains active.
SPLC et al. v. Florida DJJ (juvenile, filed 2019): A federal class action challenging the use of solitary confinement in Florida juvenile detention facilities. The suit documents children placed in isolation for minor infractions, children kept in isolation after suicide attempts, and a pregnant teenager placed in solitary for not attending school.
Legislative reform: Florida has seen repeated attempts to limit solitary confinement through legislation. Reform bills have died in committee each session. In 2025, SB 1758 and HB 1061 were filed to require an annual study of restrictive housing -- not to limit its use, but to at least document it. These bills would require the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to collect data on placements, duration, demographics, mental health impacts, and recidivism rates, beginning July 1, 2025.
Florida Corrections Monitor: The Florida Corrections Monitor, which operates under state authority, conducts inspection surveys of FDC facilities and publishes data on the number of people in each type of confinement at each facility.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in Administrative Confinement, Close Management, or Disciplinary Confinement in a Florida prison, here are the practical steps:
Confirm placement status. Contact the facility directly to confirm which type of confinement your person is in and the stated reason. FDC's inmate population search tool at dc.state.fl.us allows you to find the facility where someone is housed.
Understand visitation rules. Visits for people in Administrative Confinement require advance written approval from the warden. People in Close Management have restricted visitation that varies by CM level and behavioral history. Contact the facility's visitation coordinator before making a trip.
Mail and phone. Written mail has stronger protections than phone or video calls. Legal mail is subject to additional protections. Phone and video access in CM is typically restricted and may require advance scheduling.
Mental health access. If your person has a diagnosed mental health condition and is being denied mental health services in a restrictive housing unit, document this and encourage them to file a grievance through FDC's administrative process.
File a grievance. The person in custody must exhaust FDC's administrative grievance process before filing any federal lawsuit. Grievances go from the informal level to formal institution level to the FDC Secretary's level. Keep copies of all filings and responses.
Contact advocacy organizations. The Florida Justice Institute (fji.law), the Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org), and the MacArthur Justice Center (macarthurjustice.org) have been directly involved in Florida solitary confinement litigation and may be able to provide referrals. Florida Legal Services (floridaflp.org) provides civil legal aid.
Seek legal help. If your person has a serious mental health diagnosis and is in Close Management, or has been in solitary for an extended period, the Melendez class action may be relevant to their situation. A prisoner rights attorney can advise on individual claims.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Florida prisons?
FDC does not use the term "solitary confinement" officially. The four types of restrictive housing are: Administrative Confinement (temporary separation pending a decision), Disciplinary Confinement (punitive, following a hearing), Close Management (long-term security management, three levels), and Protective Management (for people facing threats). All four can involve single-cell confinement for 22 to 24 hours per day.
What is Close Management in Florida prisons?
Close Management (CM) under FAC Rule 33-601.800 is FDC's long-term isolation status for people whose behavior has demonstrated an inability to live in general population. It is a classification decision, not a disciplinary one. People can remain in CM for months or years. There are three levels (CM1, CM2, CM3) with CM1 being the most restrictive.
What are CM1, CM2, and CM3 in Florida?
CM1 is the most restrictive single-cell housing in the FDC system. It is used for the most serious incidents including acts causing death or injury, assault on staff, hostage-taking, and riot instigation. People in CM1 cannot have work assignments. CM2 is the middle tier, used for patterns of predatory behavior, threats of violence, and similar conduct. CM3 is the least restrictive level, typically where people are placed as they progress toward return to general population.
Who can be placed in restrictive housing in Florida?
Anyone in FDC custody can be placed in Administrative Confinement for safety or security reasons. Close Management is triggered by behavioral patterns that demonstrate an inability to live safely in general population. Disciplinary Confinement follows a guilty disciplinary finding. Florida has no written policies excluding people with serious mental illness, pregnant women, or people with intellectual disabilities from any of these statuses.
What are the conditions in Florida restrictive housing?
People in Close Management are confined to a single cell for approximately 22 to 24 hours per day. CM1 prohibits work assignments. Programming, phone, visitation, commissary, and recreation access are all restricted compared to general population. Cells must have toilet facilities and running water, though water can be cut off for intentional misuse. Mental health ISPs are required for people with mental health needs, and mental health staff must visit CM units.
How long can someone stay in solitary in Florida?
Administrative Confinement is meant to be temporary. Disciplinary Confinement has a set term from the hearing. Close Management has no statutory time limit and no state law cap. People can remain in CM1, CM2, or CM3 for months or years based on ICT review outcomes. Florida has no mandatory step-down period before release to the community from solitary.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in FL?
There is no Florida law or FDC policy that excludes people with serious mental illness from Close Management or other forms of restrictive housing. FDC is required to develop ISPs for mentally ill CM residents and provide access to mental health services, but there is no blanket prohibition. The lack of exclusion policies for vulnerable populations is the central allegation in Melendez v. FDC, which remains active in federal court.
What is the Melendez v. FDC case about?
Melendez v. Florida Department of Corrections is a class action lawsuit filed in 2019 by the MacArthur Justice Center alleging FDC "widely overuses" solitary confinement and has no policies to exclude vulnerable people including those with serious mental illness. The complaint notes FDC holds more than 10% of its population in some form of solitary -- more than twice the national average. In August 2024, the Eleventh Circuit dismissed defendants' appeals for lack of jurisdiction and the case continues in district court.
Can families visit someone in Florida restrictive housing?
It depends on the type of confinement. Visits for people in Administrative Confinement must be approved in advance in writing by the warden. People in Close Management have restricted visitation that varies by level and behavioral history. People in Protective Management are generally supposed to have visitation access comparable to general population. Always call the facility's visitation coordinator before making a trip.
What can families do if someone is in FL solitary?
Confirm placement and reason by contacting the facility. Use the FDC inmate search at dc.state.fl.us to find the facility. Understand visiting rules for the specific type of confinement before traveling. Encourage your person to file grievances through FDC's administrative process for any conditions violations. If they have a mental health diagnosis and are being denied treatment in solitary, document this. Contact the Florida Justice Institute (fji.law), Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org), or MacArthur Justice Center (macarthurjustice.org) for referrals or information about the Melendez class action. ---