Pennsylvania's Department of Corrections (PADOC) held more than 1,900 people in solitary confinement as of March 2024 -- when the first-ever Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee hearing on the practice was held the same day a landmark federal class action was filed challenging solitary confinement's constitutionality across the state prison system.
Pennsylvania passed one solitary-related law in recent years: Act 47 of 2023 (the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act), signed by Governor Shapiro on December 14, 2023, which limits the use of solitary confinement for pregnant and postpartum women. The law was weakened by amendments before passage, leading the ACLU of Pennsylvania to change its position from support to neutral.
In June 2025, a new bill was introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature that would place broader limits on solitary system-wide. It is the state's first substantive attempt to legislate comprehensive solitary confinement reform. Pennsylvania is listed by the Unlock the Box Campaign among the 12 states that passed solitary-related legislation between July 2024 and July 2025, likely reflecting Act 47 of 2023.
What Solitary Confinement Is Called in Pennsylvania
PADOC uses "restrictive housing" as its primary term. Types include:
Disciplinary Confinement (DC): Punitive isolation following a disciplinary hearing and finding of guilt, with a defined sanction term.
Administrative Custody (AC): Non-punitive isolation for safety, security, or investigative reasons, without a prior hearing. Can be open-ended.
Protective Custody (PC): Separation from general population for the person's own safety.
Diversionary Treatment Unit (DTU): PADOC describes this as the placement for people with serious mental illness who would otherwise be placed in restrictive housing. In theory, DTU placement diverts seriously mentally ill prisoners from DC or AC into a therapeutic environment. Advocacy organizations and litigation have contested whether the DTU consistently functions as a diversion in practice.
PADOC has used an Administrative Segregation and Violence Reduction Initiative since 2015, implementing staff training and cell block design changes intended to reduce reliance on restrictive housing.
Act 47 of 2023: Pregnant and Postpartum Women
HB 900, signed as Act 47 of 2023 (effective December 14, 2023):
- Prohibits solitary confinement for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women and detainees.
- Provides for recording systems for the application of restraints to pregnant prisoners.
- Includes other provisions for cavity search restrictions, feminine hygiene products, trauma-informed care, and postpartum recovery.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania changed its position on HB 900 to neutral after amendments were added that it found eroded protections against solitary confinement for pregnant people. The law passed in its amended form.
The Hammond v. PA DOC Federal Lawsuit
On March 4, 2024, six people incarcerated at prisons across Pennsylvania filed Hammond v. PA DOC, a federal class action lawsuit in federal court. Represented by the Abolitionist Law Center, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project, and Dechert LLP, the lawsuit:
- Seeks to end prolonged and indefinite solitary confinement in the Pennsylvania DOC system.
- Seeks to prohibit all solitary confinement for anyone with a mental health diagnosis.
- Alleges that solitary confinement violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
- Alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
All six named plaintiffs have documented mental illness diagnoses that worsened considerably during repeated and prolonged periods of solitary confinement.
In May 2024, the original case was split into three separate cases: Hammond v. PA DOC, Henderson v. Harry, and Walker v. Harry -- each with different focal points. Oral argument was held on November 12, 2024 in federal court in Philadelphia. The case status should be verified at publish.
The March 2024 PA House Judiciary Hearing
On March 5, 2024 -- the day after the Hammond lawsuit was filed -- Pennsylvania held its first-ever PA House Judiciary Committee hearing on solitary confinement. Speakers included Saleem Holbrook (Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center), who had himself survived solitary, and Dr. Craig Haney (leading social psychologist on the effects of solitary confinement).
The June 2025 Reform Bill
In June 2025, the Abolitionist Law Center and movement partners worked with legislators to introduce a bill that would:
- Allow everyone incarcerated in Pennsylvania communal out-of-cell time.
- Greatly reduce the reasons that people can be removed from general population into any disciplinary unit.
- Place strict limits on the use of solitary confinement system-wide.
This is the most comprehensive solitary confinement reform legislation introduced in Pennsylvania to date. Its status should be verified at publish.
The Allegheny County Jail Settlement
In March 2024, a landmark settlement was announced in a lawsuit challenging the Allegheny County Jail's (Pennsylvania's second-largest county jail system) treatment of people with psychiatric disabilities. The settlement demands sweeping changes affecting all people with psychiatric disabilities who are currently or will be held at ACJ. This is a county jail settlement, separate from the PADOC state prison system.
Governor Shapiro's Budget Proposal
Governor Shapiro's FY2024-25 budget included a proposal for $5 million to increase the time that people in PADOC solitary confinement spend outside their cells from one hour to three hours per day. As of available reporting, the current standard is approximately one hour per day out of cell.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in restrictive housing at a Pennsylvania state prison:
Find where your person is housed. PADOC provides an inmate locator at cor.pa.gov. This confirms current facility and housing status.
Contact the facility. Contact the superintendent's office or classification staff to confirm your person's current housing category (DC, AC, PC, or DTU), the stated reason for placement, the start date, and the expected pathway back to general population.
Know the DC vs. AC distinction. Disciplinary Confinement has a defined end date set at the hearing. Administrative Custody is open-ended. If your person is in AC, ask what the criteria are for release from AC and whether reviews are being conducted.
Know the DTU diversion policy. If your person has a serious mental illness, PADOC policy states they should be placed in a Diversionary Treatment Unit rather than standard restrictive housing. If your person has a diagnosed SMI and is in DC or AC rather than a DTU, document this and file a grievance. Contact the Abolitionist Law Center or PA Institutional Law Project.
Know Act 47 of 2023. If your person is pregnant or postpartum, Act 47 of 2023 prohibits solitary confinement. If this is being violated, document it immediately and contact advocacy organizations.
Know the one-hour out-of-cell standard. Based on available reporting, people in PADOC solitary receive approximately one hour out of cell per day. Document what your person reports receiving.
Monitor Hammond v. PA DOC. This federal class action (and its companion cases Henderson v. Harry and Walker v. Harry) directly challenges PADOC solitary confinement practices. Monitor for any court orders or settlement terms that may affect conditions system-wide.
File a grievance. PADOC has an administrative grievance process. Help your person file formal grievances for SMI placement in DC or AC without DTU diversion, violation of Act 47 for pregnant/postpartum prisoners, or out-of-cell time below PADOC's stated standards.
Contact the Abolitionist Law Center. ALC (abolitionistlawcenter.org) filed Hammond v. PA DOC and runs the Solitary No Silence campaign in Pennsylvania. They are the lead advocacy organization on PA solitary confinement reform.
Contact the PA Institutional Law Project. PILP (pailp.org) co-litigated the Hammond suit and provides direct legal services to Pennsylvania state prisoners.
Contact the ACLU of Pennsylvania. The ACLU-PA (aclupa.org) monitors PADOC conditions and may be able to provide referrals.
Seek legal help. If your person has a serious mental illness and is in standard restrictive housing without DTU placement, if they are pregnant or postpartum in violation of Act 47, or if they have been in Administrative Custody for an extended period without meaningful review, consult a prisoner rights attorney familiar with Pennsylvania federal courts.
Frequently asked questions
What is solitary confinement called in PA prisons?
PADOC uses "restrictive housing." Types: Disciplinary Confinement (DC) -- post-hearing punitive isolation with a defined term; Administrative Custody (AC) -- non-punitive, open-ended isolation for safety or security reasons; Protective Custody (PC) -- for personal safety; Diversionary Treatment Unit (DTU) -- PADOC's designated placement for seriously mentally ill prisoners who would otherwise be in restrictive housing.
How many people are in PA solitary confinement?
Over 1,900 people were in PADOC solitary confinement as of March 2024, when the first-ever PA House Judiciary Committee hearing on the practice was held. This was the figure cited by advocates including Abolitionist Law Center at the time of the Hammond v. PA DOC lawsuit filing.
What is the Hammond v. PA DOC federal lawsuit?
Filed March 4, 2024 in federal court by the Abolitionist Law Center, PA Institutional Law Project, and Dechert LLP on behalf of six plaintiffs, Hammond v. PA DOC is a class action seeking to end prolonged and indefinite solitary confinement in PADOC and prohibit all solitary confinement for people with mental health diagnoses. In May 2024, it split into three cases (Hammond, Henderson v. Harry, Walker v. Harry). Oral argument was held in Philadelphia on November 12, 2024. Verify current status at publish.
What does PA's Act 47 of 2023 require for solitary?
Act 47 of 2023 (HB 900, Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, signed December 14, 2023) prohibits solitary confinement for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women and detainees in Pennsylvania state facilities. It also restricts restraints on pregnant prisoners, requires trauma-informed care, and mandates feminine hygiene products. The ACLU of Pennsylvania changed its position to neutral after amendments weakened the solitary confinement protections before passage.
Are mentally ill prisoners protected from solitary in PA?
PADOC policy states that people with serious mental illness are diverted from restrictive housing to Diversionary Treatment Units. Advocacy organizations and litigation (Hammond v. PA DOC) have disputed whether this diversion consistently occurs in practice. There is no Pennsylvania statute specifically prohibiting placement of seriously mentally ill prisoners in restrictive housing beyond Act 47's pregnancy provisions.
What are Diversionary Treatment Units in Pennsylvania?
DTUs are PADOC's designated therapeutic placement for incarcerated people with serious mental illness who would otherwise be placed in Disciplinary Confinement or Administrative Custody. In theory, people with SMI diagnoses are diverted from standard restrictive housing to the DTU for mental health treatment rather than punitive isolation. Whether this consistently occurs has been contested by advocates and is central to the Hammond v. PA DOC lawsuit.
What is the June 2025 Pennsylvania solitary reform bill?
Introduced in June 2025 with the support of the Abolitionist Law Center and movement partners, the bill would allow all incarcerated people in Pennsylvania communal out-of-cell time, significantly reduce the reasons for removing someone from general population into any disciplinary unit, and place strict limits on solitary confinement system-wide. It is the most comprehensive proposed solitary reform legislation in Pennsylvania history. Status should be verified at publish.
How long can someone stay in solitary in Pennsylvania?
Disciplinary Confinement has a defined term set at the disciplinary hearing. Administrative Custody is open-ended with no statutory maximum duration. Pennsylvania has no statute limiting the duration of AC placement. Governor Shapiro's FY2024-25 budget proposed $5 million to increase out-of-cell time from one hour to three hours per day for people in PADOC solitary.
Can families visit someone in PA restrictive housing?
Visiting is typically restricted during both DC and AC. Contact the specific PADOC facility directly to confirm current visiting rules before traveling. PADOC facility contact information is at cor.pa.gov. Written mail generally retains stronger protections than phone or visits during restrictive housing.
What can families do if someone is in PA solitary?
Use PADOC's inmate locator at cor.pa.gov to find your person. Confirm housing category (DC, AC, or DTU) and reason. If SMI: ask about DTU placement and document if not provided. If pregnant or postpartum: Act 47 of 2023 prohibits solitary -- document any violation immediately. Document daily out-of-cell time (reported standard is approximately one hour). Monitor Hammond v. PA DOC for court orders. File grievances for policy violations. Contact Abolitionist Law Center (abolitionistlawcenter.org), PA Institutional Law Project (pailp.org), or ACLU of Pennsylvania (aclupa.org) for support. ---