Nevada's approach to solitary confinement changed significantly on January 1, 2024, when Senate Bill 307 -- signed by Governor Joe Lombardo in June 2023 -- took effect. The law limits solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days, requires a multidisciplinary review with a mental health clinician before any continued isolation beyond that, bans placement in solitary within 90 days of release, and requires NDOC to adopt regulations ensuring solitary is "only used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible."
The bill was championed by state Sen. Pat Spearman, co-presented by the advocacy group Return Strong and NDOC Director James Dzurenda, and represented a reform that Nevada advocates had been seeking for years -- a similar bill failed in the 2021 legislative session. The same 2023 legislative session also produced AB 452, creating an independent ombudsman to provide oversight of Nevada's prison system.
Before the law: a Yale Liman Center survey covering 2018-2020 data showed Nevada housing approximately 1,059 people in restrictive housing -- about 10% of its prison population. Fifty-seven people had been in restrictive housing for more than 10 years. Forty percent of trans people in Nevada prisons were in solitary confinement. Even minor infractions -- disobeying orders, causing disruption, swearing -- could result in restrictive housing under prior practice.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Nevada
The Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) uses "solitary confinement" and "segregation" as its official terms. Senate Bill 307 defined solitary confinement as isolation in a single-person cell away from the general prison population for at least 22 hours per day.
NDOC Administrative Regulation 513 governs solitary confinement and establishes three types:
Disciplinary Segregation: Punitive isolation assigned after a major rule violation through a formal disciplinary process with a defined term. The regulation states that "solitary confinement is not to be used for the purpose of punishment" -- but disciplinary segregation is the formal mechanism through which rule-violation-based isolation is authorized.
Protective Segregation: Separation for the person's own safety.
Administrative Segregation: For administrative necessity, including security, safety, or pending investigation.
What SB 307 Requires
Senate Bill 307 (effective January 1, 2024) established the following requirements for Nevada jails and prisons:
Last resort standard: Solitary confinement can "only be used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible."
15-day cap: Solitary confinement is restricted to 15 consecutive days. After 15 days, a multidisciplinary treatment team -- including a mental health clinician -- must conduct a review to determine where to place the person.
No placement within 90 days of release: NDOC cannot place a person in solitary within 90 days of their scheduled release date.
Regulation requirement: NDOC must adopt regulations implementing these standards.
Implementation status: The law took effect January 1, 2024, with NDOC working to implement regulations. Advocacy organizations remain watchful about enforcement -- the Sierra Nevada Ally noted in September 2025 that advocates remain wary of how exactly the law is being enforced in practice.
Visitation protections (SB 307 also included): NDOC must give at least 72 hours notice if visits are being canceled, specify why visitation may be canceled, and provide a new appeals process for visitation rules.
Who Can Be Placed in Solitary in Nevada
Under SB 307 and AR 513, solitary confinement is for:
- People who pose a serious safety or security threat (administrative segregation).
- People who need protection from others (protective segregation).
- People found guilty of major rule violations through a disciplinary hearing (disciplinary segregation).
The 15-day cap applies across all types. The multidisciplinary team review after 15 days is a new safeguard that did not exist before January 2024.
No solitary placement within 90 days of release, regardless of the reason.
Trans Prisoners and Solitary
The Yale Liman Center data showed that 40% of trans people in Nevada prisons were in solitary confinement during the 2018-2020 survey period. This disproportion drove significant advocacy attention during the 2023 legislative session.
Separately, the 2023 Nevada legislative session included legislation requiring formal policies for the housing of trans and gender diverse incarcerated people. Verify the specific bill and its status at publish.
The Independent Ombudsman: AB 452
Assembly Bill 452 (also from the 2023 Nevada legislative session, co-presented by Return Strong and NDOC Director Dzurenda) created an independent ombudsman to provide oversight of Nevada's prison system. NDOC Director Dzurenda noted that states with independent oversight "show a reduction in litigation cases." The ombudsman office provides a channel for complaints outside the standard NDOC grievance process.
The ombudsman and the SB 307 reforms together represent the most significant changes to Nevada's correctional oversight and solitary confinement practices in years.
Implementation and Enforcement
As of September 2025, prison advocacy groups remain watchful about whether SB 307's requirements are being fully implemented in practice. The Sierra Nevada Ally reported in September 2025 that advocates are monitoring enforcement of the law. The multidisciplinary team review after 15 days, the mental health clinician requirement, and the 90-day release ban are the specific provisions that require ongoing compliance monitoring.
Families with concerns about compliance can direct them to the Nevada prison ombudsman created by AB 452 as well as the standard NDOC grievance process.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in solitary confinement in a Nevada state prison:
Find where your person is housed. NDOC provides an offender search at doc.nv.gov. This confirms current facility and housing status.
Contact the facility. Each NDOC facility has administrative staff. Contact the warden's office or classification department to confirm your person's current housing status, the type of segregation (disciplinary, protective, or administrative), and current visiting and communication rules.
Know the 15-day limit. Under SB 307, solitary confinement is capped at 15 consecutive days. After 15 days, a multidisciplinary team including a mental health clinician must review the placement. If your person has been in solitary for more than 15 consecutive days without a documented multidisciplinary review, this may violate the law. Document and grieve.
Know the 90-day release ban. If your person is within 90 days of their scheduled release date, SB 307 prohibits placing them in solitary confinement. Document this if your person is within that window.
Assert visitation rights. Under SB 307, NDOC must provide at least 72 hours notice of visitation cancellations and must explain why. There is also a new appeals process. If visits are being canceled without proper notice or process, raise this through the ombudsman and grievance process.
Contact the Nevada ombudsman. AB 452 created an independent ombudsman for Nevada's prison system. Contact information for the ombudsman should be available through NDOC or Nevada legislative resources. The ombudsman provides an independent oversight channel outside the standard DOC grievance process.
File a grievance. NDOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for violations of SB 307's requirements -- exceeding the 15-day cap, failing to conduct a multidisciplinary review, or violating the 90-day release window.
Contact Return Strong. Return Strong (returnstrong.org) is a Nevada-based prison advocacy organization that co-presented the SB 307 and AB 452 reforms and continues to monitor NDOC implementation. They may be able to provide referrals and advocacy support.
Contact the ACLU of Nevada. The ACLU of Nevada (aclunv.org) published a 2017 report on Nevada solitary confinement conditions and monitors NDOC practices.
Seek legal help. If SB 307's requirements are not being followed -- particularly the 15-day cap, the multidisciplinary review requirement, or the 90-day release ban -- consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Nevada courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in Nevada prisons?
NDOC uses "solitary confinement" and "segregation" as its primary terms. Senate Bill 307 (effective January 1, 2024) defines solitary confinement as isolation in a single-person cell away from general population for at least 22 hours per day. NDOC Administrative Regulation 513 establishes three types: disciplinary segregation (post-hearing), protective segregation (safety), and administrative segregation (operational necessity).
What does Nevada's Senate Bill 307 require?
SB 307 (effective January 1, 2024): limits solitary to 15 consecutive days; after 15 days, requires a multidisciplinary team including a mental health clinician to review the placement; bans placing someone in solitary within 90 days of their release date; requires NDOC to adopt regulations ensuring solitary is "only used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible"; requires 72 hours notice before visitation cancellation; and provides for visitation appeals.
When did Nevada's solitary confinement law take effect?
January 1, 2024. Governor Joe Lombardo signed SB 307 in June 2023, with the effective date pushed back from July 1, 2023 to January 1, 2024 during negotiations with NDOC Director Dzurenda. As of September 2025, advocacy organizations remain watchful about enforcement of the law's requirements in practice.
Who can be placed in solitary confinement in Nevada?
Administrative segregation: for security, safety, or investigation necessity. Protective segregation: for the person's own safety. Disciplinary segregation: following a major rule violation hearing and finding. All placements are now subject to the 15-day consecutive cap, the multidisciplinary review requirement after 15 days, and the prohibition on placement within 90 days of release.
What are conditions like in Nevada solitary confinement?
Under the pre-2024 framework, a Yale Liman survey found approximately 1,059 people (about 10% of Nevada's prison population) in restrictive housing during 2018-2020, with 57 people having been in restrictive housing for more than 10 years. Even minor infractions could result in placement. Under SB 307's January 2024 standards: solitary must be used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner, for the shortest time possible, with a 15-day cap and multidisciplinary review requirement. Advocates continue to monitor whether conditions are meeting these standards.
How long can someone stay in solitary in Nevada?
15 consecutive days under SB 307 (effective January 1, 2024). After 15 days, a multidisciplinary treatment team -- including a mental health clinician -- must review the placement and determine whether it should continue and in what form. No person may be placed in solitary within 90 days of their release date. Before SB 307, some people had been in restrictive housing for more than 10 years.
Are trans prisoners protected from solitary in Nevada?
Prior to SB 307, approximately 40% of trans people in Nevada prisons were in solitary confinement (Yale Liman 2018-2020 data). The 2023 legislative session also included legislation requiring formal policies for the housing of trans and gender diverse people in Nevada prisons. SB 307's 15-day cap and last-resort standard apply to all prisoners, including trans people. Verify the specific trans housing bill and its implementation at publish.
What is the Nevada prison ombudsman created by AB 452?
Assembly Bill 452 (2023) created an independent ombudsman to provide oversight of Nevada's prison system. Co-presented by the advocacy group Return Strong and NDOC Director Dzurenda, it provides a complaint channel outside the standard NDOC grievance process. Dzurenda noted that states with independent oversight show reductions in litigation. For complaints about SB 307 compliance or other conditions, the ombudsman is an additional resource alongside the formal grievance process.
Can families visit someone in Nevada solitary confinement?
Under SB 307, NDOC must provide at least 72 hours notice before canceling a visit, must specify the reason, and must provide a new appeals process for visitation rules. Contact the specific NDOC facility to confirm current visiting rules before traveling. NDOC facility contact information is at doc.nv.gov. Written mail generally retains stronger protections than phone or visits during solitary confinement.
What can families do if someone is in Nevada solitary?
Use NDOC's offender search at doc.nv.gov to find your person. Contact the facility to confirm housing status and type of segregation. Know that solitary is capped at 15 consecutive days under SB 307 (effective January 1, 2024). Know that no one may be placed in solitary within 90 days of release. After 15 days, a multidisciplinary review including a mental health clinician is required. Assert visitation rights including 72-hour notice and appeals. Contact the Nevada prison ombudsman (AB 452) for complaints. File grievances for SB 307 violations. Contact Return Strong (returnstrong.org) or ACLU of Nevada (aclunv.org) for advocacy support. ---
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