North Carolina's Department of Adult Corrections (DAC, formerly NCDPS) uses "restrictive housing" and "segregation" interchangeably for solitary confinement. The state has undertaken significant administrative reforms since 2016 -- banning solitary for youth under 18, opening Therapeutic Diversion Units for mentally ill prisoners, and capping the maximum disciplinary solitary term at 30 days for the most serious offenses. None of these reforms are statutory; all exist as department policy.
What has not changed: North Carolina has no law limiting the duration of adult solitary confinement, no ban on placing people with serious mental illness in restrictive housing, and no independent statutory oversight mechanism. The December 2023 North Carolina Supreme Court affirmed denial of class certification in a prisoners' challenge to NC's use of solitary confinement. A February 2026 report by Disability Rights North Carolina documented illegal solitary confinement still occurring in the state's juvenile detention centers -- facilities where solitary has been officially banned since 2016.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections uses "restrictive housing" and "segregation" interchangeably. North Carolina's formal restrictive housing categories include:
Restrictive Housing for Disciplinary Purposes (RHDP): Punitive isolation for rule violations, following a disciplinary hearing and finding of guilt. A 2017 NCDPS disciplinary policy revision capped RHDP at 30 days for Class A offenses (the most serious category, including assaulting an officer and fighting with weapons). Lesser offenses carry shorter caps.
Restrictive Housing for Control Purposes (RHCP): Long-term, non-punitive isolation for ongoing safety and security management. Authorized by a Director's Classification Committee (DCC) referral. No fixed duration -- open-ended, with periodic review.
Protective Control: Separation from general population for the person's own safety.
North Carolina also operates:
- Therapeutic Diversion Units (TDUs): Alternatives to restrictive housing for prisoners with significant mental health treatment needs.
- Rehabilitative Diversion Unit (RDU): A step-down unit to transition people out of segregation back to general population.
Administrative Reforms Since 2016
Following a year-long Vera Institute of Justice assessment of NCDPS facilities (published 2017), the state undertook multiple administrative reforms:
Youth ban: North Carolina eliminated the use of segregation for prisoners under 18 and developed a youthful offender program for those individuals.
Therapeutic Diversion Units: Four TDUs were opened as alternatives to segregation for prisoners with mental illness. These provide treatment rather than punitive isolation.
Rehabilitative Diversion Unit: An RDU was opened to help transition people from segregation back to general population.
Disciplinary caps: NCDPS reduced maximum penalties for virtually all disciplinary offenses. Class A offenses (the most serious) are now capped at 30 days of RHDP.
De-escalation training: Staff across the prison system received training on communication and de-escalation to reduce reliance on segregation.
These are administrative policies, not statutory protections. They can be changed without legislative action.
What Has Not Changed
Despite the post-Vera reforms, North Carolina has:
No statute limiting the duration of adult restrictive housing. RHCP (long-term control housing) remains open-ended, governed by DCC review.
No statutory ban on placing people with serious mental illness in restrictive housing. TDUs are available as alternatives, but placement is not mandated and TDU capacity is limited.
No statutory minimum out-of-cell time requirement.
No independent oversight body with statutory authority over restrictive housing practices.
The 2019 ACLU of North Carolina / NC Prisoner Legal Services lawsuit challenging NC's solitary practices resulted in the December 2023 North Carolina Supreme Court affirming the denial of class certification -- meaning the case could not proceed as a class action. Jerry Williams, a prisoner with schizophrenia documented in earlier litigation, spent over 70,000 hours in solitary confinement for behavioral manifestations of his mental illness before reforms began.
The Youth Solitary Ban and the 2026 DRNC Report
North Carolina banned solitary confinement for youth under 18 in its juvenile facilities in 2016. A January 2024 lawsuit filed by a group of youth at the Cabarrus juvenile detention center challenged continued use of solitary confinement in facilities across the state.
In February 2026, Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) released a 52-page report summarizing a year-long review (July 2024 through August 2025) of all 14 juvenile detention centers in the state. DRNC conducted nearly 400 interviews with detained youth at both state-run and county-run facilities. Key findings:
- Solitary confinement was being used in juvenile detention centers in violation of the 2016 ban.
- Defined as keeping a youth confined alone for 22 or more hours, solitary confinement for youth under 18 has been prohibited since 2016.
- The majority of facilities also failed to meet educational and recreational standards.
- 38% of youth assessed in 2024 were identified as having mental health needs.
- One facility, Madison County Juvenile Detention Center, closed in January 2025 as a result of the review.
- Three facilities were noted as providing the best care in several areas.
NCDPS disputed the report's characterization that solitary confinement was occurring, saying only temporary room confinement for safety purposes was used. DRNC supervising attorney Cari Carson rejected that framing.
The January 2024 Cabarrus lawsuit was reportedly close to settlement as of February 2026.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in restrictive housing at a North Carolina state prison:
Find where your person is housed. NC DAC provides an offender search at dac.nc.gov or doc.nc.gov. This confirms current facility and housing type.
Contact the facility. Contact the warden's office or classification department to confirm your person's housing category (RHDP, RHCP, or protective control), the stated reason, the start date, and the expected duration.
Know the disciplinary cap. For Class A offenses under NCDPS disciplinary policy, the maximum RHDP sentence is 30 days. If your person is in disciplinary restrictive housing beyond the applicable cap for their offense, document this and file a grievance.
Ask about TDU placement. If your person has a serious mental illness, ask whether they have been evaluated for a Therapeutic Diversion Unit. TDUs exist as alternatives to restrictive housing for mentally ill prisoners. If your person is in restrictive housing with a serious mental illness and TDU placement was not considered, document this and raise it through the grievance process.
Know that RHCP is open-ended. Restrictive Housing for Control Purposes is authorized by a Director's Classification Committee referral and has no fixed maximum duration. If your person is in RHCP, ask for the DCC referral documentation, the review schedule, and what criteria must be met for release from RHCP.
Document conditions. Ask your person to document daily out-of-cell time, programming access, mental health contacts, and any contact with attorneys or family. North Carolina has no statutory minimum out-of-cell time requirement.
File a grievance. NC DAC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for disciplinary cap violations, denial of TDU evaluation, or inadequate mental health care.
Contact Disability Rights North Carolina. DRNC (disabilityrightsnc.org) runs the End Solitary NC campaign and monitors adult and juvenile solitary confinement conditions in North Carolina. They may be able to provide referrals and advocacy support.
Contact the ACLU of North Carolina. The ACLU of NC (acluofnorthcarolina.org) has challenged NC solitary practices in court and monitors NCDPS/DAC conditions.
Seek legal help. If your person has been in RHCP for an extended period without meaningful review, has a serious mental illness without TDU access, or has been in disciplinary solitary beyond the applicable cap, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with North Carolina federal courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in NC prisons?
NC DAC (formerly NCDPS) uses "restrictive housing" and "segregation" interchangeably. Formal categories: Restrictive Housing for Disciplinary Purposes (RHDP) -- punitive, post-hearing, capped at 30 days for Class A offenses; Restrictive Housing for Control Purposes (RHCP) -- non-punitive, long-term, open-ended, authorized by Director's Classification Committee; and Protective Control. Therapeutic Diversion Units and a Rehabilitative Diversion Unit are alternatives to restrictive housing rather than restrictive housing types.
What are the types of restrictive housing in NC prisons?
RHDP (Restrictive Housing for Disciplinary Purposes): post-hearing punitive isolation, with a 30-day cap for Class A offenses. RHCP (Restrictive Housing for Control Purposes): non-punitive long-term isolation authorized by Director's Classification Committee, open-ended. Protective Control: separation for personal safety. Therapeutic Diversion Units (TDUs): alternatives to restrictive housing for mentally ill prisoners. Rehabilitative Diversion Unit (RDU): step-down transition from restrictive housing to general population.
What solitary reforms has North Carolina made?
Since a 2016-2017 Vera Institute assessment: ban on solitary for youth under 18; four Therapeutic Diversion Units as alternatives for mentally ill prisoners; one Rehabilitative Diversion Unit for step-down transition; 30-day maximum for RHDP for Class A disciplinary offenses; reduced penalties for lesser offenses; de-escalation training for staff. All reforms are department policy, not statute, and can be changed without legislative action.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in NC?
Partially, through administrative policy rather than statute. Four Therapeutic Diversion Units provide alternatives to restrictive housing for prisoners with serious mental illness. However, TDU placement is not mandated, capacity is limited, and there is no statutory prohibition on placing seriously mentally ill people in RHDP or RHCP. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in restrictive housing without TDU evaluation, document this and file a grievance.
How long can someone stay in solitary in North Carolina?
For disciplinary restrictive housing (RHDP): 30-day maximum for Class A offenses under current DAC policy; shorter caps for less serious offenses. For Restrictive Housing for Control Purposes (RHCP): no fixed maximum -- open-ended with Director's Classification Committee review. There is no North Carolina statute limiting the duration of adult restrictive housing.
What is the Rehabilitative Diversion Unit in NC prisons?
The Rehabilitative Diversion Unit (RDU) is a step-down transition unit designed to move people from restrictive housing back to general population. It was created following the 2017 Vera Institute recommendations. People in RHCP or coming off RHDP sentences may be placed in the RDU to provide structured re-integration support before return to general population.
Is youth solitary confinement banned in North Carolina?
Yes, since 2016. North Carolina eliminated the use of segregation for youth under 18 following the Vera Institute assessment. However, a February 2026 report by Disability Rights North Carolina, based on a year-long review of all 14 juvenile detention centers, found solitary confinement still occurring in violation of the ban. A January 2024 lawsuit by youth at the Cabarrus detention center was reportedly close to settlement as of February 2026.
What did the 2026 DRNC juvenile detention report find?
Disability Rights North Carolina's February 2026 report reviewed all 14 NC juvenile detention centers (July 2024 through August 2025), interviewing nearly 400 youth. Key findings: solitary confinement occurring in multiple facilities in violation of the 2016 ban; majority of facilities failing educational and recreational standards; 38% of assessed youth had identified mental health needs; one facility (Madison County) closed in January 2025 as a result. NCDPS disputed the characterization that solitary was occurring, saying only brief safety-related room confinement was used.
Can families visit someone in NC restrictive housing?
Visiting is typically restricted during RHDP and may be restricted during RHCP. Contact the specific NC DAC facility directly to confirm current visiting rules before traveling. NC DAC facility contact information is at dac.nc.gov. Written mail generally retains stronger protections than phone or visits during restrictive housing.
What can families do if someone is in NC solitary?
Use NC DAC's offender search at dac.nc.gov to find your person. Contact the facility to confirm housing category (RHDP or RHCP), start date, and reason. Know the 30-day RHDP cap for Class A offenses -- document violations. Ask about TDU placement if your person has a serious mental illness. Know that RHCP is open-ended -- ask for DCC review documentation. File grievances for policy violations. Contact Disability Rights North Carolina (disabilityrightsnc.org) or ACLU of NC (acluofnorthcarolina.org) for advocacy support. ---