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Restrictions On Solitary Confinement Pass House

DENVER (AP) - The use of solitary confinement for inmates with a serious mental illness would be outlawed under a bill approved by the Colorado House.

House lawmakers approved the bill Monday on a 63-2 vote.

The bill aligns with a goal the Colorado Department of Corrections has been working on to reduce the number of mentally ill inmates in solitary confinement.

Tom Clements
Tom Clements (credit: State of Colorado)

The mental health impacts of the punishment have received more attention in Colorado after the slaying of former state corrections Director Tom Clements last year. The suspect was a former inmate who had been released after serving eight years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement.

The proposal still needs to go to the Senate for agreement on amendments.

LINK: Senate Bill 64

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