Laws Governing the Care of People with Serious Mental Illness in Solitary Confinement.

Solitary confinement continues to be a widespread practice among jails and prisons in the United States, despite extensive evidence of its negative effects on mental health, particularly for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). Given this, it is imperative for forensic mental health clinicians, especially those working in correctional settings, to be aware of the laws and policies that govern who can be placed in solitary confinement, for what reasons, and for how long. This article summarizes each state's statutes, administrative codes, and department policies on solitary confinement regarding people with SMI, highlighting the wide variation in the treatment of individuals with SMI in the correctional system across states and the need for uniform legislation that restricts the use of solitary confinement for people with SMI. This knowledge can help clinicians to better understand the ways in which their patients may be affected by the practice of solitary confinement and, ultimately, how to advocate for incarcerated individuals placed in solitary confinement to help minimize adverse outcomes.