New Jersey Statutes 30:4-82.6. Findings, declarations relative to the use of isolated confinement
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 30:4-82.6
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
a. The use of isolated confinement in this State‘s correctional facilities should be restricted to ensure the safe and humane operation of these facilities, consistent with the New Jersey Constitution, the laws and public policies of this State, the mission of the correctional system, evolving medical knowledge, and human rights standards of decency.
b. Isolated confinement should only be used when necessary, and should not be used against vulnerable populations or under conditions or for time periods that foster psychological trauma, psychiatric disorders, or serious, long-term damage to an isolated person‘s brain.
c. The standards established in this act should apply to all persons detained in correctional facilities under the jurisdiction of this State or any subdivision, regardless of the civil or criminal nature of the charges against them.
d. Citing the devastating and lasting psychological consequences of solitary confinement on persons detained in correctional facilities, President Obama adopted reforms in January 2016 to reduce its use in federal correctional facilities, including banning restrictive housing for low-level offenders and juveniles; decreasing the maximum length of time an inmate may be held in restricted housing from 365 days to 60 days; and increasing time spent outside the cell for inmates held in restrictive housing.
L.2019, c.160, s.2.