The data on how many prisoners are subjected to solitary confinement has long been elusive: many state corrections departments didn’t log such information, and it was hard to track given the various euphemisms for the practice. A new report from Yale Law School and the Association of State Correctional Administrators released Wednesday tries to fill the gaps in what we know about the use of solitary confinement in the United States.
The Arthur Liman Public Interest Program at Yale first collected data from state and federal corrections officials in 2014 and again, in more detail, last year, taking what amounts to a comprehensive census on the use of solitary confinement in the U.S. Researchers found that in the fall of 2015, at least 67,442 U.S. prisoners were kept in some kind of restricted housing. (That includes prisoners held in “double-cell solitary,” where they are locked down with another inmate.)
But perhaps most striking, researchers said, was how many states have come around to the idea of reducing the use of solitary confinement. “The official position of so many jurisdictions now is that they want less solitary,” said Judith Resnik, the Arthur Liman Professor of Law at Yale Law School and a co-author of the report. “The people closest to running prisons are telling us this is not a wise thing to do for the safety and well-being of prisoners, or the safety of staff and the communities to which they’ll return.”
Despite the growing consensus, some states, like Louisiana, still put a significant portion of their prisoners in isolation (though Louisiana officials claim their use of solitary confinement is closer to 8 percent when including state inmates being housed in county jails). Corrections officials in Utah, which in 2015 held 14 percent of its inmates in segregation, told researchers they’ve since overhauled their policies on solitary confinement.
Here is a look at some of the report's most interesting findings:
Percent of prison population in solitary confinement
Solitary was being used in every jurisdiction surveyed, but some depended on the practice more than others. These are the percentages of inmates who were kept in isolation at least 22 hours a day for 15 days or more.
15%
12%
9%
6%
3%
0%
Percent of prison population in solitary confinement
Solitary was being used in every jurisdiction surveyed, but some depended on the practice more than others. These are the percentages of inmates who were kept in isolation at least 22 hours a day for 15 days or more.
0%
3%
6%
9%
12%
15%
Louisiana
Utah
Nebraska
New Mexico
Delaware
Tennessee
New York
Washington, D.C.
Florida
Maryland
Alaska
Georgia
Minnesota
New Jersey
Missouri
Wyoming
Arizona
Indiana
Kansas
Vermont
Alabama
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Idaho
Illinois
Federal Bureau of Prisons
New Hampshire
Oregon
Kentucky
North Carolina
Texas
Wisconsin
Montana
Pennsylvania
Michigan
Iowa
North Dakota
South Dakota
Virginia
Ohio
Massachusetts
Washington
Colorado
Mississippi
California
Connecticut
Hawaii
0%
3%
6%
9%
12%
15%
Percent of prison population in solitary confinement
Solitary was being used in every jurisdiction surveyed, but some depended on the practice more than others. These are the percentages of inmates who were kept in isolation at least 22 hours a day for 15 days or more.
0%
3%
6%
9%
12%
15%
Louisiana
Utah
Nebraska
New Mexico
Delaware
Tennessee
New York
Washington, D.C.
Florida
Maryland
Alaska
Georgia
Minnesota
New Jersey
Missouri
Wyoming
Arizona
Indiana
Kansas
Vermont
Alabama
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Idaho
Illinois
Federal Bureau of Prisons
New Hampshire
Oregon
Kentucky
North Carolina
Texas
Wisconsin
Montana
Pennsylvania
Michigan
Iowa
North Dakota
South Dakota
Virginia
Ohio
Massachusetts
Washington
Colorado
Mississippi
California
Connecticut
Hawaii
0%
3%
6%
9%
12%
15%
Demographic data from the new survey shows that on average, prisoners of color were slightly overrepresented in solitary confinement when compared with the overall prison population. But in some states, this disparity is particularly stark. In California state prisons, Hispanic men make up 42 percent of male prisoners, but 86 percent of male prisoners in restricted housing.
Race and Solitary Confinement
In general, white inmates are underrepresented in solitary compared with the prison as a whole. Black inmates in many states make up a greater percentage of solitary confinement occupants. These charts plot the difference between the percentage of men of each race in the general prison population and their percentage of the inmates in solitary.
White men
Black men
Hispanic men
More in solitary
More in solitary
More in general population
More in solitary
More in general population
More in general population
25%
same
25%
California
South Dakota
Connecticut
23 points
26 points
7 points
Tennessee
North Dakota
Washington, D.C.
Texas
Minnesota
North Carolina
Colorado
Utah
Hawaii
Hawaii
Wyoming
Pennsylvania
Nebraska
Montana
Mississippi
Washington
Michigan
South Carolina
Alaska
California
Massachusetts
South Dakota
Arizona
Virginia
Bureau of Prisons
Kansas
Bureau of Prisons
Utah
Wisconsin
South Dakota
Idaho
Ohio
Minnesota
Wyoming
Washington
Montana
Kentucky
North Carolina
Michigan
Montana
Pennsylvania
Ohio
Arizona
Mississippi
Florida
Oregon
Iowa
Missouri
Virginia
Oklahoma
Alabama
Iowa
Florida
Louisiana
New Jersey
Missouri
Idaho
Louisiana
South Carolina
Oregon
Washington, D.C.
Connecticut
Kentucky
Average
Delaware
5
Alaska
Maryland
Alabama
Tennessee
New York
Colorado
Delaware
Massachusetts
New York
New York
Indiana
Texas
Average
1
Oklahoma
Average
Indiana
6
Kansas
Massachusetts
New Jersey
Delaware
Indiana
Maryland
Alabama
Louisiana
Oklahoma
Minnesota
Nebraska
Wisconsin
North Dakota
New Jersey
Wyoming
Wisconsin
Idaho
Kansas
Missouri
Oregon
Nebraska
Florida
Virginia
Iowa
South Carolina
Hawaii
Arizona
North Carolina
Kentucky
North Dakota
Ohio
Washington, D.C.
Colorado
Pennsylvania
Bureau of Prisons
Utah
Mississippi
Alaska
Texas
Connecticut
Maryland
Washington
Michigan
Tennessee
California
10
15
44
Race and Solitary Confinement
In general, white inmates are underrepresented in solitary compared with the prison as a whole. Black inmates in many states make up a greater percentage of solitary confinement occupants. These charts plot the difference between the percentage of men of each race in the general prison population and their percentage of the inmates in solitary.
White men
More in general population
More in solitary
25%
same
25%
South Dakota
23 points
North Dakota
Minnesota
Utah
Wyoming
Montana
Michigan
California
Arizona
Kansas
Wisconsin
Ohio
Washington
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Mississippi
Iowa
Oklahoma
Florida
Missouri
South Carolina
Connecticut
Delaware
Alabama
Colorado
New York
Texas
Average
6
Massachusetts
Indiana
Louisiana
Nebraska
New Jersey
Idaho
Oregon
Virginia
Hawaii
Kentucky
Washington, D.C.
Bureau of Prisons
Alaska
Maryland
Tennessee
10
Black men
More in solitary
More in general population
California
26 points
Tennessee
Texas
Colorado
Hawaii
Nebraska
Washington
Alaska
South Dakota
Bureau of Prisons
Utah
Idaho
Wyoming
Kentucky
Montana
Arizona
Oregon
Virginia
Iowa
New Jersey
Louisiana
Washington, D.C.
Average
5
Maryland
New York
Massachusetts
Indiana
Oklahoma
Kansas
Delaware
Alabama
Minnesota
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Missouri
Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Mississippi
Connecticut
Michigan
15
Hispanic men
More in solitary
More in general population
Connecticut
7 points
Washington, D.C.
North Carolina
Hawaii
Pennsylvania
Mississippi
South Carolina
Massachusetts
Virginia
Bureau of Prisons
South Dakota
Minnesota
Montana
Michigan
Ohio
Florida
Missouri
Alabama
Louisiana
Idaho
Oregon
Kentucky
Alaska
Tennessee
Delaware
New York
Average
1
Indiana
New Jersey
Maryland
Oklahoma
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Kansas
Nebraska
Iowa
Arizona
North Dakota
Colorado
Utah
Texas
Washington
California
44
Race and Solitary Confinement
In general, white inmates are underrepresented in solitary compared with the prison as a whole. Black inmates in many states make up a greater percentage of solitary confinement occupants. These charts plot the difference between the percentage of men of each race in the general prison population and their percentage of the inmates in solitary.
White men
More in general population
More in solitary
25%
same
25%
23 points
South Dakota
North Dakota
Minnesota
Utah
Wyoming
Montana
Michigan
California
Arizona
Kansas
Wisconsin
Ohio
Washington
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Mississippi
Iowa
Oklahoma
Florida
Missouri
South Carolina
Connecticut
Delaware
Alabama
Colorado
New York
Texas
Average
6
Massachusetts
Indiana
Louisiana
Nebraska
New Jersey
Idaho
Oregon
Virginia
Hawaii
Kentucky
Washington, D.C.
Bureau of Prisons
Alaska
Maryland
10
Tennessee
Black men
More in solitary
More in general population
California
26 points
Tennessee
Texas
Colorado
Hawaii
Nebraska
Washington
Alaska
South Dakota
Bureau of Prisons
Utah
Idaho
Wyoming
Kentucky
Montana
Arizona
Oregon
Virginia
Iowa
New Jersey
Louisiana
Washington, D.C.
Average
5
Maryland
New York
Massachusetts
Indiana
Oklahoma
Kansas
Delaware
Alabama
Minnesota
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Missouri
Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Mississippi
Connecticut
15
Michigan
Hispanic men
More in solitary
More in general population
Connecticut
7 points
Washington, D.C.
North Carolina
Hawaii
Pennsylvania
Mississippi
South Carolina
Massachusetts
Virginia
Bureau of Prisons
South Dakota
Minnesota
Montana
Michigan
Ohio
Florida
Missouri
Alabama
Louisiana
Idaho
Oregon
Kentucky
Alaska
Tennessee
Delaware
New York
1
Average
Indiana
New Jersey
Maryland
Oklahoma
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Kansas
Nebraska
Iowa
Arizona
North Dakota
Colorado
Utah
Texas
Washington
44
California
The length of time prisoners spend in solitary confinement also varies greatly from state to state. The largest portion of inmates — 29 percent — were there for one to three months. But nearly 3,000 prisoners across the country have been in solitary confinement for six years or longer. More than half of them are in Texas.
Time Spent in Solitary
Federal Bureau of Prisons
3,000 people
Florida
2,000
Texas
New York
1,000
Arizona
Tennessee
0
15 days–1 month
1–3 months
3–6 months
6 months–1 year
1–3 years
3–6 years
6+ years
Time Spent in Solitary
Federal Bureau of Prisons
3,000
people
FL
2,000
TX
NY
1,000
AZ
TN
0
15 days–
1 month
1–3
months
3–6
months
6 months–
1 year
1–3
years
3–6
years
6+
years
Time Spent in Solitary
Federal Bureau
of Prisons
3,000
people
FL
2,000
TX
NY
1,000
AZ
TN
0
