Rhode Island debates curbing solitary confinement of inmates

By The Associated Press

news@abc6.com

CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) _ A national movement against the solitary confinement of prisoners has reached Rhode Island as lawmakers are set to debate a bill that would limit the isolation of inmates to no more than 15 days at a time.

It would also ban the segregated confinement of young and elderly inmates, the mentally disabled and other vulnerable groups.

The legislation would require a major overhaul of what’s known as the “Seg,” or segregation cells where inmates can spend months or years with little human interaction.        

Sen. Harold Metts and Rep. Aaron Regunberg, Providence Democrats who sponsored the legislation, say isolation can exacerbate mental illness and break people down when the goal should be rehabilitation.

Prison officials say the legislation would take away the discretion they need to maintain safety.

(C) The Associated Press 2016