End Solitary Confinement Act - US SB 3409/HB4972

NPAP is proud to support the End Solitary Confinement Act (ESCA), a robust piece of federal legislation introduced by Congresswoman Cori Bush, in partnership with Reps. Jamaal Bowman, Adriano Espaillat, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Rashida Tlaib, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, that would:

1. End solitary confinement in federal prisons, jails and other detention settings with limited exceptions, including a 4 hour maximum for emergency de-escalation;
2. Allow for longer-term separation from the general facility population while ensuring all people incarcerated in federal facilities have meaningful access to out-of-cell time and group programming;
3. Impose strict due process protections, including access to representation and neutral decision-makers;
4. Create oversight and enforcement mechanisms, including mandatory reporting, a private cause of action, oversight by a community monitoring body, and enhanced media access;
5. Incentivize states and municipalities to adopt similar bans on solitary confinement.