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AB-701 • 2026

Corrections: solitary confinement.

Corrections: solitary confinement.

Budget
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Ortega
Last action
Official status
Assembly - Died - Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's implementation is conditional upon legislative appropriation (funding).

Study of Solitary Confinement in California Detention Facilities

If funded by the Legislature, this law requires a one-time study collecting data on every use of solitary confinement in all California detention facilities during the first nine months of 2026.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Justice to work with other correction groups to conduct a one-time comprehensive study on solitary confinement.
  • Asks all detention facilities to report specific details for every instance of solitary confinement in early 2026, including start and end times, location, and reasons.
  • Requires monthly data updates to be sent to the Legislature during the study period.
  • Mandates a final report to be delivered to the Legislature and Governor by November 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Justice
  • All detention facilities in California
  • People held in solitary confinement during the study period

Terms To Know

Solitary Confinement
A practice where a person is kept alone, for which this bill requires data collection on specific instances.
Appropriation
Money that the Legislature must officially set aside before this study can begin.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The study only covers data from January through September of 2026.
  • This law does not take effect until the Legislature approves funding for it.
  • Reimbursement costs for local facilities depend on a future decision by the Commission on State Mandates.

Bill History

  1. California Legislative Information

    Assembly - Died - Appropriations

Official Summary Text

Corrections: solitary confinement.