Michigan calls its solitary confinement "administrative segregation" -- and the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) reports the total number of days spent in administrative segregation to the legislature annually. That data tells two stories. The first story is that over the past 15 years, total time in administrative segregation has been dramatically reduced -- by 74% from the FY2008 baseline, according to MDOC's own 2024 report. The second story, documented in the same data: from 2022 to 2023, the number of days spent in administrative segregation by people with serious mental illness or developmental disabilities increased by 341 percent.
Those two numbers coexist because MDOC has made genuine population-level reductions while the SMI and developmental disability population's exposure has grown sharply -- even as MDOC officials publicly denied that any mentally ill people are in segregation settings.
Jonathan Lancaster died of dehydration in an observation cell at the Alger Correctional Facility in 2019. Six MDOC employees were charged with involuntary manslaughter; all charges were dropped in September 2023. A civil settlement followed. His case became a turning point for public attention on Michigan solitary, and the resulting advocacy produced mandatory crisis intervention training for MDOC staff and expanded reporting requirements in the state budget.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Michigan
MDOC uses "administrative segregation" as its primary term, governed by Policy Directive 04.05.120 (Segregation Standards). Three categories exist:
Temporary Segregation: Placement pending a disciplinary hearing or classification decision. A housing unit team must review the person's status within seven calendar days of placement.
Administrative Segregation: Non-punitive long-term placement for ongoing safety or security reasons. The Security Classification Committee (SCC) must conduct a personal, in-cell interview at least every 30 days. This is the most common form of solitary in Michigan and the category reported to the legislature.
Punitive (Disciplinary) Segregation: Short-term punitive placement following a disciplinary hearing and finding of guilt, with a defined sanction term.
MDOC acknowledges a definitional dispute with advocates. MDOC uses the 22-hours-per-day threshold for its definition of solitary confinement. Advocates, including Citizens for Prison Reform and the Open MI Door campaign, argue that Level V units (the most restrictive "general population" units, where people spend most of their day in cells) and other categories beyond formal administrative segregation function as solitary confinement without being classified as such.
Level V and Visitation
Michigan operates a six-level security classification system. Level V units are the most restrictive general population setting -- not technically classified as segregation but involving very limited out-of-cell time and movement. People in Level V are not counted in MDOC's administrative segregation data.
Michigan's 1995 visitation policy creates additional isolation: two violations for substance use -- which can include possession of tobacco, dropping medication on the floor, or "cheeking" medication -- can result in indefinite or permanent loss of visiting rights. A 2023 report by Citizens for Prison Reform found that roughly 93% of visitor restrictions that year were due to these substance use violations. Loss of visiting rights effectively extends isolation beyond formal cell confinement.
The Legislative Report Requirement
Michigan law (PA 121 of 2024, Section 710; successor to earlier PA 87 of 2021) requires MDOC to report to the legislature annually on administrative segregation. The annual report includes:
- Total days spent in administrative segregation.
- Days spent by people with serious mental illness (SMI) or developmental disabilities.
- Individual case summaries for people in the longest-running admin segregation placements.
- Comparisons to FY2008 baseline data.
The 2024 report showed:
- Total admin segregation days: down 74% from FY2008.
- SMI/developmental disability admin segregation days: increased 341% from 2022 to 2023.
MDOC officials stated in 2024 that no mentally ill people are in segregation in Michigan -- a position that advocates and the legislative data directly contradict.
Jonathan Lancaster
Jonathan Lancaster died on May 18, 2019 at the Alger Correctional Facility in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He had been placed in an observation cell (a form of restricted housing) and died of dehydration. He was nearing the end of a 9-year sentence for armed robbery. His sister spent more than four years trying to contact MDOC officials, including Director Heidi Washington, about the circumstances of his death.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged six MDOC employees with involuntary manslaughter and two with felony misconduct -- including the acting warden and his deputy at the time. All charges against the six were dropped in September 2023 after a court found the employees were not the direct cause of death. A civil settlement followed.
Outcomes from Lancaster's death:
- Policy changes within MDOC intended to prevent similar incidents.
- The 2023-2024 Michigan budget included mandatory crisis intervention training for MDOC staff, pushed by Citizens for Prison Reform.
- Body cameras for correctional officers funded ($7 million in 2023-2024 budget).
- The case significantly raised public and legislative attention on solitary confinement in Michigan.
Mental Health Protections
Michigan has no statute specifically prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in administrative segregation. MDOC operates under general Eighth Amendment obligations and has implemented several internal programs:
SMART units (Secure Mental Health Adjustment and Residential Treatment units): In-facility mental health treatment units designed to divert people with mental illness from long-term administrative segregation, providing movement, recreation, and treatment within a secure setting.
START program (Stabilization, Treatment, and Reintegration Transition): A program providing alternatives to administrative segregation and a pathway out of isolated housing.
Alternatives to Segregation program: Created to offer alternatives to isolation and give incarcerated people a clearer pathway out of solitary confinement.
Secure Status Outpatient Program, Incentives in Segregation, Interim Care Program: Additional programs providing increased movement, recreation, and treatment for SMI individuals in restricted housing.
Despite these programs, the legislative data shows SMI/developmental disability days in administrative segregation increased 341% from 2022 to 2023, suggesting the diversion programs are not reaching everyone who needs them.
30-Day Reviews in Administrative Segregation
Under MDOC Policy Directive 04.05.120, people in administrative segregation must receive a personal, in-cell interview by the Security Classification Committee at least every 30 days. These reviews are designed to ensure admin segregation stays temporary and does not become permanent.
In practice, advocates have raised concerns about whether these reviews meaningfully assess whether the person can return to general population, or whether they function as pro forma extensions of placement.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in administrative segregation or other restricted housing in a Michigan state prison:
Find where your person is housed. MDOC provides an offender search at michigan.gov/corrections. This confirms current facility placement.
Contact the facility. Each MDOC facility has administrative staff. Contact the warden's office or classification department to confirm your person's current housing status, the category of segregation (temporary, administrative, or disciplinary), and current visiting and communication rules.
Know the review schedule. Temporary segregation must be reviewed within 7 days. Administrative segregation requires a personal in-cell interview at least every 30 days. If reviews are not occurring, document this and file a grievance.
Understand the visitation policy. If visiting rights have been suspended due to substance use violations, ask MDOC specifically about the basis and whether there is a pathway to restore them. The 1995 policy allows indefinite loss of visiting rights for two such violations -- even tobacco possession or medication handling issues.
Document everything. Keep records of every contact with your person: their reported daily schedule, out-of-cell time, mental health contact, review dates. This documentation is important for any grievance or legal action.
File a grievance. MDOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for denied reviews, denial of mental health care, or conditions that violate MDOC policy. Administrative remedies must typically be exhausted before court relief.
Contact Citizens for Prison Reform / Open MI Door. Citizens for Prison Reform (citpris.org) runs the Open MI Door campaign and is the lead advocacy organization on Michigan solitary confinement. They may be able to provide referrals, information, and support.
Contact the ACLU of Michigan. The ACLU of Michigan (aclumich.org) monitors MDOC conditions and may be able to provide referrals.
Seek legal help. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in administrative segregation without adequate mental health care -- or is being held in admin segregation without the required 30-day reviews -- these situations may support legal claims. Consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Michigan federal courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Michigan prisons?
MDOC calls it "administrative segregation" (for non-punitive, ongoing placements), "temporary segregation" (pending a hearing), and "punitive" or "disciplinary segregation" (post-hearing sanction with a defined term). All are governed by MDOC Policy Directive 04.05.120. Level V units are the most restrictive general population classification and are not counted as administrative segregation. MDOC uses the 22-hours-per-day threshold for its definition of solitary.
Who gets placed in admin segregation in Michigan?
MDOC policy places people in administrative segregation when they pose an acute or ongoing threat to themselves, other people, or institutional order. Temporary segregation is used pending a disciplinary hearing. Punitive segregation follows a guilty disciplinary finding. Administrative segregation is a classification decision, not a sanction, and can be open-ended. The 30-day review requirement is designed to prevent indefinite placement.
What are conditions like in Michigan admin segregation?
People in administrative segregation are in single cells with highly restricted out-of-cell time, limited programming, and reduced social contact. The 30-day in-cell review requirement is the primary procedural protection. MDOC has several mental health diversion programs (SMART units, START, Alternatives to Segregation) for SMI and developmental disability populations, but the 341% increase in SMI admin segregation days from 2022 to 2023 suggests not all who need diversion are receiving it.
How long can someone stay in admin segregation in Michigan?
Michigan has no statute limiting the duration of administrative segregation. The 30-day review requirement is designed to ensure ongoing justification, but the classification can continue indefinitely. The annual legislative report documents the longest-running placements. People have been in Michigan administrative segregation for years. The 74% reduction in total days from FY2008 shows the system has made population-level progress, but long-term individual placements remain documented.
What happened to Jonathan Lancaster in Michigan?
Jonathan Lancaster died May 18, 2019 at Alger Correctional Facility of dehydration in an observation cell. He was nearing the end of a 9-year prison sentence. Michigan Attorney General charged six MDOC employees with involuntary manslaughter and two with felony misconduct, including the acting warden. All manslaughter charges were dropped in September 2023. A civil settlement followed. Lancaster's case prompted crisis intervention training requirements and body camera funding for MDOC in the state budget.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in MI?
Michigan has no statute prohibiting placement of people with serious mental illness in administrative segregation. MDOC has implemented SMART units, the START program, Alternatives to Segregation, and other mental health programs as diversion alternatives. However, legislative data shows SMI and developmental disability days in admin segregation increased 341% from 2022 to 2023 -- even as MDOC officials publicly stated no mentally ill people are in segregation.
What is the Open MI Door campaign in Michigan?
Open MI Door is a campaign coordinated by Lois Pullano of Citizens for Prison Reform (citpris.org) focused on ending solitary confinement in Michigan prisons. The campaign advocates for legislative reform, greater transparency in MDOC data, expanded Ombudsman authority, and support for families affected by solitary. Citizens for Prison Reform also helped secure crisis intervention training requirements and reporting requirements in Michigan's state budget.
What are Michigan START and Alternatives to Segregation?
START (Stabilization, Treatment, and Reintegration Transition) is an MDOC program providing an alternative to administrative segregation and a pathway back to general population. The Alternatives to Segregation program similarly provides alternatives to isolation. Both were created to give incarcerated people a clearer pathway out of solitary confinement. SMART (Secure Mental Health Adjustment and Residential Treatment) units divert people with mental illness from long-term admin segregation into secure housing with movement, recreation, and treatment.
Can families visit someone in Michigan admin segregation?
Visiting rules in administrative segregation depend on the facility and unit. Contact the specific MDOC facility to confirm current visiting status before traveling. Michigan's 1995 visitation policy allows indefinite or permanent loss of visiting rights for two substance use violations -- a policy that advocates say effectively extends isolation for many people. MDOC facility contact information is at michigan.gov/corrections.
What can families do if someone is in Michigan solitary?
Use MDOC's offender search at michigan.gov/corrections to find your person. Contact the facility to confirm the segregation category (temporary, administrative, or disciplinary) and current rules. Know the review schedule (7-day for temporary, 30-day for administrative). If reviews are not occurring, document and grieve. Check whether visiting rights have been suspended and understand the basis. Contact Citizens for Prison Reform (citpris.org) for advocacy support. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in admin segregation without required care, consult a prisoner rights attorney. ---