FL H1061

Creates s. 944.022, F.S., requiring the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to conduct an annual study on the use of restrictive housing (solitary confinement) across all Florida state correctional facilities, with findings reported to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker.

Defines five categories of restrictive housing to be studied: administrative confinement (typically up to 90 days), Close Management I, II, and III (indefinite, with varying restriction levels), disciplinary confinement (30 to 60+ days), and Maximum Management (the most extreme isolation with no natural light, no calls or visits, and reading limited to religious texts).

Requires the study to collect detailed data disaggregated by age group, facility, and housing type, including total placements, duration, reasons for placement, frequency of repeat placements, and demographic information such as gender, race, ethnicity, age, weight, and ADA-defined disability status.

Mandates analysis of the mental health impact of restrictive housing, including changes in mental illness severity before, during, and after placement; self-harm and suicide attempts; crisis stabilization placements; and psychological autopsies of individuals previously held in restrictive housing.

Requires economic analysis comparing the average yearly cost of each type of restrictive housing versus general population housing, as well as an assessment of whether 3-year recidivism rates differ between prisoners who experienced restrictive housing and those who did not. Effective July 1, 2025.