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Legislative Action

Our coalition works to end solitary confinement in Washington State by advancing transformative legislation that protects the human rights of incarcerated individuals. Through strategic advocacy, we collaborate with impacted people, lawmakers, and community organizations to draft, promote, and support bills that limit or eliminate the use of solitary confinement across adult and juvenile facilities.

No Violence, No Segregation Act
Sponsor: Rep. Strom Peterson

HB 1137: No Violence, No Segregation Act, is a cost-neutral approach to reducing the over-reliance on administrative segregation (ad-seg) by addressing the Department of Corrections (DOC) prison-initiated disciplinary process. By addressing the disciplinary process, we can reduce the total number of people that experience solitary confinement and reduce costs allowing us to focus on providing meaningful, individualized care to people who might need to be briefly separated from the general population.

The Problem with Current Policy

Under existing policy, the Department of Corrections recognizes over 100 infractions—many of them non-violent—as grounds for placing individuals in ad-seg, often resulting in months of solitary confinement. These placements can occur before a hearing and are frequently based on vague or minimal evidence, as the current standard of proof requires only “some evidence,” which may be as little as a single unverified statement.

What This Bill Does

Change the evidentiary standard for DOC infractions from “some evidence” to “preponderance of evidence”.
Narrow the types of infractions that warrant the use of administrative segregation to the most serious infractions including escape, arson, serious assault, creating or participating in a major disturbance in which assaults occurred, or attempts or reliable information that these serious infractions may occur.
Escalate reviews and approval of the use of administrative segregation at the 15, 30 and 45 day mark, and notifying the Office of Corrections Ombuds for anything beyond 45 days.
Protect people’s education, housing, and job placement while they are in ad-seg.

Why Support

Promotes Consistency Across Facilities by applying the same “preponderance of evidence” standard already used under PREA, leading to fairer and more equitable disciplinary outcomes.
Aligns with National Standards as over 20 other state prison systems use this approach, signaling Washington’s commitment to humane and modern correctional practices.
Supports DOC Reform and Staff Well-Being by reinforcing the Washington Way and reducing staff stress linked to managing solitary confinement units.
Reduces Unnecessary Solitary Confinement by enabling hearing officers to dismiss weak infractions earlier, leading to fewer hearings and shorter confinement times.

View Legislation: HB 1137 (2025-26)

Concerning Solitary Confinement
HB 1087 & SB 5135 (2023-24), HB 1756 (2022)

House Bill 1087, introduced in Washington State, proposed major restrictions on the use of solitary confinement in correctional and long-term detention facilities. The bill would have limited solitary confinement to emergency situations, medical isolation, or voluntary requests, defining it as isolating someone for 20 or more hours a day. It included strong protections for vulnerable individuals—such as those with mental illness, disabilities, or who were pregnant—and required medical evaluations, strict time limits, and hearings for continued use. The legislation also aimed to improve conditions in solitary, mandating access to basic needs, social interaction, education, and treatment, while prohibiting placement based on race, gender identity, or disability.

The bill would have required the Department of Corrections and private detention facilities to adopt new rules, including staff training, compliance monitoring, and plans to transition individuals out of solitary. Jails would have been required to report monthly data on solitary use, including reasons, duration, and access to services, with summaries submitted to the Governor and Legislature.

Although HB 1087, and the previous version, HB 1756 (2022) presented a comprehensive and humane approach to limiting solitary confinement and improving accountability, the legislation ultimately did not pass.

View Legislation: HB 1087 (2023)

View Legislation: SB 5135 (2023)

View Legislation: HB 1756 (2022)

View Legislation: SB 5413 (2021)

Ending Juvenile Solitary
HB 2277 (2020), Sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson

House Bill 2277, enacted in June 2020, prohibits the use of solitary confinement for juveniles in Washington’s detention and rehabilitation facilities, allowing room confinement only in limited circumstances where a youth poses an immediate danger to themselves or others, and even then only for up to four hours without formal review. The law mandates detailed data collection and reporting on the use of isolation—including duration, justification, medical oversight, and access to services—with monthly reports required through 2022 and annual public reporting thereafter. It also required all juvenile facilities to adopt a standardized isolation policy by July 2021 and banned holding juveniles charged as adults in adult jails for more than 24 hours without court approval.

View Legislation: HB 2277 (2020)

Concerning Private Detention Centers
HB 1470 (2023), Sponsored by Lillian Ortiz-Self

House Bill 1470 (2023) aimed to improve health and safety standards for individuals detained in private detention centers, particularly the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. Among the numerous provisions, this law prohibits the use of solitary confinement and defined it as being detained in a cell or living space for more than 20 hours in a day. While this legislation passed, implementation has been stalled and people are still subject to solitary confinement due to legal challenges.

View Legislation: HB 1470 (2023)

Legislative Testimony on Solitary Confinement

At End Solitary WA, we’ve worked alongside directly impacted individuals to bring the voices of solitary survivors to the legislature, testifying on bills to end long-term isolation in Washington prisons. While the bills have not yet passed, the stories shared by incarcerated people have moved lawmakers and sparked critical conversations across the state. These testimonies—raw, powerful, and courageous—are a driving force behind the growing momentum for change. We invite you to watch the videos and hear directly from those who have endured solitary confinement. Their voices are leading the fight for justice, and they deserve to be heard.