Lawmakers and advocates debate oversight and limits for restrictive confinement at ACI

The Senate Judiciary Committee took testimony April 3 on Senate Bill 533, the Restrictive Confinement Oversight Act, a proposal to establish statutory limits, procedures and an independent oversight committee for restrictive housing (often called solitary confinement) at Rhode Island correctional facilities.

Sponsor Sen. Acosta told the committee the bill seeks to formalize reforms already put in place administratively at the Department of Corrections and to codify protections — for example, limiting the length of restrictive confinement and setting minimum out-of-cell hours. "This bill would formalize some of the practices that are already taking place," Acosta said, adding the measure would also create an oversight committee to review restrictive-housing policies.

Formerly incarcerated witnesses and advocacy groups urged the committee to adopt stronger statutory protections. Melanie Perez testified that prolonged isolation is "a form of torture" that creates severe psychological harm and urged limits on duration and mandatory oversight. The Rhode Island Developmental Disabilities Council asked that an IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) advocate be added to any oversight body; the sponsor agreed to consider that change.

The Department of Corrections, represented by Chief of Staff Ryan Crowley, said the department has implemented substantial policy changes in 2023 — disciplinary process changes, a restorative housing program and higher minimum out-of-cell hours — and that the consequences are still being evaluated. The DOC raised concerns about premature codification of policies while the system is still adjusting, and it cited experiences in other states where statutory changes were subsequently suspended or required adaptation. The DOC also flagged cost, operational and legal issues, and noted the department is operating under ongoing federal monitoring and litigation on related subjects.

Correctional-officer representatives opposed the bill. Richard Ferrucio, president of the Rhode Island Brotherhood of Correctional Officers, described increased incidents of violence and drug use after policy changes limited disciplinary confinement, warned the bill would interfere with labor negotiations and said some proposed timing and meal‑interval requirements would be difficult to implement in practice.

After testimony the committee held SB 533 for further study to allow sponsors, DOC and advocates to negotiate language, consider adding an IDD representative to oversight and allow the department’s mediation process and federal monitoring to progress.

Ending: The committee did not vote the measure out; the bill was held for further study with requests for stakeholder negotiations and drafting changes.