SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Three Northern California county jails are trying a new approach to solitary confinement.
The idea is to limit solitary confinement to violent inmates.
The new policy also encourages jailers to use low-cost incentives to reward good behavior, like giving them opportunity to listen to the radio or watch a movie.
The techniques are being used in response to inmate lawsuits. Officials say the changes have dramatically reduced the number of inmates in isolation and the length of time they stay there.
Experts say it could serve as a national model for reducing the use of isolation they say is dehumanizing and can worsen mental illness.
