A bill signed into law in July by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy would restrict the use of solitary confinement in the state’s prison system. When signing the law, the governor stated: "I am proud to stand together with New Jersey’s criminal justice reform advocates and legislators to advance a humane correctional system that allows for the safe operation of facilities and focuses on strengthening reentry initiatives, substance use disorder treatment, and recovery programs.”
Comprehensive Controls
This new law is thought to be among the most comprehensive controls of the practice of placing inmates in isolation in the United States. The state Legislature had been debating the issue for years. Corrections officials assert that the use of solitary confinement has been strictly controlled through prison policies and practices but that the new law ensures that these practices will remain permanent.