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# Summary This bill significantly restricts how federal prisons and U.S. Marshals Service facilities can use solitary confinement. It requires that solitary confinement be used only as a last resort and for the shortest time possible, with inmates receiving at least four hours of out-of-cell time daily in most cases. The law prohibits placing vulnerable populations—including people under 21 or over 60, those with serious mental illness, pregnant people, and LGBTQ+ inmates—in solitary confinement except in emergencies, and bans it entirely for certain minor infractions. The bill mandates mental health evaluations within six hours of placement and establishes a new federal Ombudsman position to investigate complaints about solitary confinement and civil rights violations. It also requires the Bureau of Prisons to eliminate special management units and establish more general population protective custody units as alternatives to solitary confinement. Federal prisons and contracted facilities must report detailed data on solitary confinement use every six months, including demographics and mental health outcomes. The law takes effect 18 months after enactment and authorizes unspecified funding for implementation, staff training, and a national coordinating center to help federal, state, and local systems reduce solitary confinement use.

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