Idaho's primary solitary confinement unit is J Block at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution (IMSI), located about nine miles south of Boise. The Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) calls its long-term isolated housing "long-term restrictive housing" -- and it explicitly describes this as a housing assignment, not a disciplinary sanction. That distinction matters: in Idaho, the people in long-term restrictive housing are there because of how IDOC classifies their behavior, not because a disciplinary hearing imposed a specific sanction with a defined endpoint.
J Block houses up to 128 people across general population, protective custody, long-term restrictive housing, and death row. Conditions have been the subject of two mass hunger strikes within an 18-month period, during which 90 men refused food for six days each time to protest isolation and the chain-link cages used for outdoor recreation. Those cages have been documented as covered in trash, urine, and human feces. IDOC has since implemented a step-down program to transition people out of long-term restrictive housing.
There is no Idaho statute limiting the duration of long-term restrictive housing or setting criteria for protected populations.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Idaho
IDOC uses "long-term restrictive housing" (LTRH) as its official designation for isolated housing at IMSI. IDOC has explicitly stated to media that "long-term restrictive housing is not a disciplinary sanction, it is a housing assignment designed to manage specific behaviors."
Additional types of restricted housing at IDOC include:
Disciplinary segregation: Short-term isolated housing following a disciplinary hearing for a specific rule violation, with a defined term.
Protective custody: Separate housing for people who face credible threats to their safety in general population.
Long-term restrictive housing (LTRH): The J Block designation for people whose behavior patterns, security threat group involvement, or other ongoing concerns place them in extended isolation without a fixed release date defined at the time of placement.
J Block at Idaho Maximum Security Institution
IMSI, located near Kuna, Idaho, is Idaho's only maximum-security prison. IDOC describes it as housing "Idaho's most dangerous and volatile male residents." The facility has a capacity of 535 and is located within a double perimeter fence reinforced with razor wire and an electronic detection system.
J Block is IMSI's most restrictive unit, housing up to 128 people in general population, protective custody, long-term restrictive housing, and death row within the same block.
Conditions in J Block long-term restrictive housing, as confirmed by IDOC:
- Single-person cells.
- Inmates are moved in restraints at all times outside the cell.
- One hour of outdoor recreation per day.
- Shower every other day.
- Access to religious services is permitted.
- Communication via JPay (electronic messaging) is allowed.
- Commissary orders are permitted.
Outdoor recreation at IMSI has been a specific point of documented concern. The Idaho Statesman reported on the chain-link cages used for recreation time, describing them as large chain-link metal boxes often covered in trash, urine, and human feces. Two separate mass hunger strikes -- each involving approximately 90 men, each lasting six days -- took place within an 18-month period to protest these conditions and long bouts of isolation.
Who Gets Placed in Long-Term Restrictive Housing
IDOC describes long-term restrictive housing as a classification decision, not a disciplinary one. People are placed in LTRH based on IDOC's assessment of their behavior patterns, security threat, or other management concerns. This means there is no hearing producing a defined term -- placement is open-ended until IDOC determines the person can move to a less restrictive setting.
Short-term disciplinary segregation does follow a disciplinary hearing with a defined term.
The distinction is important for families: if your person is in long-term restrictive housing at J Block, the pathway out is through IDOC's classification and step-down process, not through completing a fixed sanction period.
How Long People Stay
Because IDOC explicitly frames long-term restrictive housing as a housing assignment rather than a disciplinary sanction, there is no defined maximum term in Idaho law or published policy. Duration is determined by IDOC's classification review process.
In practice, the hunger strikes and advocacy pressure led IDOC to implement a step-down program -- a graduated process for transitioning people from J Block's most restrictive conditions toward general population. This creates a pathway, but the timeline is IDOC's to control.
IDOC's step-down program involves multiple stages with increasing interaction with other people. People progress through stages where they can interact with others before returning to general population.
There is no Idaho statute limiting the duration of long-term restrictive housing.
Vulnerable Populations
Idaho has no statute specifically prohibiting or limiting long-term restrictive housing for people with serious mental illness, pregnant people, juveniles, or others. IDOC operates under general Eighth Amendment obligations to provide medical and mental health care, but no protective framework equivalent to what exists in Colorado, Connecticut, or California applies in Idaho.
The ACLU of Idaho (acluidaho.org) has been the primary advocacy organization monitoring IDOC conditions and may have current information about any ongoing litigation or advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations in LTRH.
Due Process
Short-term disciplinary segregation in Idaho requires a disciplinary hearing under IDOC policy. The person receives notice of the charge, has the opportunity to respond, and receives a written decision with a defined term.
Long-term restrictive housing is initiated through IDOC's classification process, not a disciplinary hearing. Periodic classification reviews occur, but the process is administrative rather than adversarial.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in long-term restrictive housing or disciplinary segregation at an Idaho prison:
Find where your person is housed. IDOC provides an offender search at idoc.idaho.gov. This confirms facility and housing unit placement. If your person is listed as being on J Block at IMSI, they are in Idaho's most restrictive unit.
Contact IMSI directly. The Idaho Maximum Security Institution is located near Kuna, Idaho. Contact IMSI's administrative staff through IDOC's facility contact information at idoc.idaho.gov to confirm your person's housing status and current visiting and communication rules.
Understand what long-term restrictive housing means for contact. JPay (electronic messaging) and commissary orders are allowed in long-term restrictive housing at J Block. One hour of outdoor recreation per day is the current standard. Contact the facility to confirm current phone and visiting rules.
Know the step-down process. If your person is in long-term restrictive housing, the pathway out is through IDOC's classification and step-down program. Ask classification staff what stage your person is in and what steps are required to progress. Document responses in writing when possible.
File a grievance. IDOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances if conditions are unsafe, if mental health services are not being provided, or if the recreation cages are in the condition documented during the hunger strikes.
Document conditions. If your person describes recreation cages covered in waste, lack of mental health services, or other conditions, document this in writing. Keep records of every phone call and letter.
Contact the ACLU of Idaho. The ACLU of Idaho (acluidaho.org) has been involved in monitoring IDOC conditions and may be able to provide referrals, information about current litigation, or guidance.
Seek legal help. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in long-term restrictive housing without mental health treatment, this may give rise to Eighth Amendment claims. Consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Idaho federal courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Idaho prisons?
IDOC uses "long-term restrictive housing" (LTRH) for extended isolated housing. IDOC has stated that LTRH "is not a disciplinary sanction, it is a housing assignment designed to manage specific behaviors." Short-term isolated housing following a disciplinary hearing is called disciplinary segregation. Protective custody is used for people facing safety threats. J Block at IMSI is the unit where LTRH is concentrated.
What is J Block at Idaho Maximum Security Institution?
J Block is the most restrictive housing unit at IMSI, Idaho's only maximum-security prison, located about nine miles south of Boise. It houses up to 128 people across general population, protective custody, long-term restrictive housing, and death row. People in LTRH on J Block are in single-person cells, moved in restraints, allowed one hour of outdoor recreation daily, and may shower every other day. JPay messaging and commissary orders are permitted. Religious services access is allowed.
Who gets placed in long-term restrictive housing in Idaho?
LTRH is a classification decision by IDOC, not a disciplinary sanction. People are placed based on IDOC's assessment of their behavior patterns, security threat group involvement, or other ongoing management concerns. There is no adversarial hearing producing a defined term -- placement continues until IDOC's classification process determines the person can move to a less restrictive setting through the step-down program.
What are conditions like in Idaho long-term RH?
Single-person cells; moved in restraints at all times outside the cell; one hour of outdoor recreation daily; shower every other day; JPay messaging and commissary allowed; religious services permitted. The outdoor recreation cages at IMSI were documented by the Idaho Statesman as chain-link enclosures often covered in trash, urine, and human feces -- the conditions that drove two mass hunger strikes involving approximately 90 men each, lasting six days each, within an 18-month period.
How long can someone stay in Idaho restrictive housing?
There is no Idaho statute or published policy setting a maximum duration for long-term restrictive housing. Because IDOC frames LTRH as a housing assignment rather than a disciplinary sanction, there is no defined endpoint. Duration is controlled by IDOC's classification review process and progression through the step-down program. Short-term disciplinary segregation has a defined term set at the disciplinary hearing.
What happened during the Idaho prison hunger strikes?
Within an 18-month period at IMSI, approximately 90 men organized two separate hunger strikes, each lasting six days. The protests were directed at long bouts of isolation and the chain-link recreation cages, which were documented as covered in trash, urine, and human feces. The strikes drew public attention to conditions in J Block's long-term restrictive housing. IDOC subsequently implemented a step-down program to create a progression pathway out of long-term isolation.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in ID?
Idaho has no statute specifically prohibiting or limiting long-term restrictive housing for people with serious mental illness. IDOC operates under Eighth Amendment obligations to provide mental health care but has no protective framework equivalent to what exists in Colorado, Connecticut, California, or Arizona. The ACLU of Idaho (acluidaho.org) is the primary resource for information on current advocacy or litigation on this issue.
What is Idaho's step-down program?
IDOC's step-down program is a graduated transition out of long-term restrictive housing toward general population. It involves multiple stages with increasing social interaction -- moving from full isolation toward stages where people can interact with others before returning to general population. The program was implemented following the hunger strikes and public attention to conditions on J Block. Progression through the step-down program is controlled by IDOC's classification process.
Can families visit someone in Idaho long-term RH?
Visiting rules in long-term restrictive housing at J Block should be confirmed directly with IMSI. Contact IMSI's administration through IDOC's facility contact directory at idoc.idaho.gov before planning a trip. JPay messaging and commissary orders are confirmed as permitted in LTRH. Phone and in-person visit access should be verified with the facility, as rules can vary and may differ from general population.
What can families do if someone is in Idaho solitary?
Use IDOC's offender search at idoc.idaho.gov to confirm your person's facility and housing unit. Contact IMSI administration to learn their current classification stage in the step-down program and the conditions for progression. Confirm JPay, phone, and visiting access. Document all conditions your person reports. File grievances through IDOC's process for any unsafe conditions or denial of services. Contact the ACLU of Idaho (acluidaho.org) for advocacy information and referrals. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in LTRH without mental health treatment, consult a prisoner rights attorney. ---