FL S1674

Named the "Cautia Spencer End Solitary Confinement Act," the bill creates s. 944.022, F.S., to strictly limit restrictive housing (solitary confinement) for all incarcerated adults and juveniles to a maximum of 8 consecutive hours, after which the individual must be returned to the general population

Restrictive housing may only be used as a temporary response to behavior posing a serious and immediate threat of physical harm, and only after de-escalation techniques have failed; it is explicitly prohibited for punishment, retaliation, coercion, staff convenience, or to compensate for staffing shortages

Confinement exceeding 1 hour requires approval from the facility director or highest-ranking supervisor present, along with consultation and approval from a licensed mental health practitioner, with reaffirmation of approval required every hour

Individuals still posing a threat after 8 hours must be referred to a mental health practitioner for an individualized therapeutic and restorative justice program, which may include counseling, medication management, mentoring, or outdoor activities — and may be referred to a mental health facility under the Baker Act if criteria are met

Staff must document each use of restrictive housing within 24 hours, including detailed incident reports covering de-escalation methods attempted, staff involved, injuries, and any self-harm or suicide attempts; de-identified data on frequency and duration must be available as a public record