In 2019, Maryland passed legislation limiting solitary confinement for youth. HB 1001 went into effect in October 1 , 2019. The law prohibits anyone under 18 from being put in restrictive housing unless the facility manager finds that the youth poses an “immediate and substantial risk (1) of physical harm to the minor, other inmates, or staff; or (2) to the security of the facility.”
The bill also requires that every correctional unit provide a report to the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention by December 1 of each year documenting the number of people put in restrictive housing during the preceding year by age, race, gender, classification of housing, and the basis for the inmate’s placement in restrictive housing along with other data.
Read more about HB 1001 here: Opinion: Solitary Confinement Is No Place for Children — or Anyone, For That Matter (Maryland Matters, Oct. 2019)