Skip to main content
S 719 116th Congress Senate Crime and Law Enforcement Administrative law and regulatory procedures Administrative remedies Assault and harassment offenses Child safety and welfare Congressional oversight Correctional facilities and imprisonment Criminal justice information and records Department of Justice Disability and paralysis Executive agency funding and structure Government information and archives Government studies and investigations HIV/AIDS Health personnel Intergovernmental relations Juvenile crime and gang violence Medical tests and diagnostic methods Mental health Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Solitary Confinement Reform Act

Introduced: March 7, 2019 Introduced by: Durbin, Richard J. Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 7, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mar 7, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Solitary Confinement Reform Act

This bill establishes standards for the use of solitary confinement at federal prisons.

It generally limits the use of solitary confinement to situations that meet certain criteria, including confinement for the briefest term and the least restrictive conditions practicable. It also limits the use of solitary confinement for certain categories of inmates, including pregnant women and individuals with serious mental illness.

The bill requires the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to do the following:

  • establish a transitional process for inmates in solitary confinement,
  • provide comprehensive mental health evaluations for inmates in solitary confinement,
  • train employees on mental illness and the psychological effects of solitary confinement, and
  • report annually on the use of solitary confinement.

It establishes, within the BOP, an Office of the Civil Rights Ombudsman.

Finally, it establishes a solitary confinement resource center within the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance.

What's happening now March 7, 2019

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 5
D
Murphy, Christopher
Connecticut · Mar 4, 2020
 D
Booker, Cory A.
New Jersey · Mar 7, 2019
 D
Coons, Christopher A.
Delaware · Mar 7, 2019
 D
Schatz, Brian
Hawaii · Mar 7, 2019
 D
Warren, Elizabeth
Massachusetts · Mar 7, 2019
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 719: Solitary Confinement Reform Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-719/
MLA
"S. 719: Solitary Confinement Reform Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-719/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 719, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-719/.
Markdown link
[S. 719: Solitary Confinement Reform Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-719/)
Report a problem