SB 1059 Summary

• Establishes the Office of the Correction Ombuds within the Office of Governmental Accountability, with a Governor-nominated ombuds appointed by the General Assembly to investigate complaints from incarcerated persons and advocate for their rights, effective October 1, 2021.

• Prohibits life-threatening restraints and pharmacological restraints on incarcerated persons, with limited exceptions for psychiatric emergencies requiring therapist authorization in medical units; restricts isolated confinement to maximum 72 hours with de-escalation requirements and prohibits confinement based on protected characteristics.

• Requires incarcerated persons have at least 6.5 hours outside their cells daily starting July 1, 2023 (including those on restrictive housing), with exceptions for serious incidents, imminent threats, or voluntary segregation requests.

• Establishes visitation policies guaranteeing at least one 60-minute contact visit per week for incarcerated persons, with restrictions on restraints during visits and limits on denial periods to 90 days; requires unlimited mail writing and receipt without unnecessary processing delays.

• Mandates annual reporting to the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division on disaggregated data regarding isolated confinement use, restraints, incidents, and actions taken to minimize reliance on restrictive housing.