Solitary confinement is defined in Virginia as the isolation of an incarcerated person to a cell for at least 22 hours per day. Holding someone longer than 15 days in solitary confinement is considered torture by the United Nations, which prohibits the practice.

It has been considered a brutal practice, with studies showing its impact on the mentality of the imprisoned, with some individuals reportedly decided to initiate self-mutilation in order to get medical assistance to get out of the box. The American Civil Liberties Union has stated that there is no end to the practice , despite receiving several complaints from family members. Now, a bill proposed by Senator Joseph Morrissey, Senate Bill 108, seeks to limit how long an inmate can be in confinement. If the bill passes, it will also state that if an inmate is in confinement for medical purposes, a licensed practitioner must sign off on the confinement. In addition, there must also be a plan of action filed by correctional facility administrators once the inmate outside of confinement.

The Republican-controlled House recently voted down the bill in an earlier session, opting for a study to be done instead. Delegate Candi Mundon King (2nd House District) released the following message on Twitter after the decision was rendered:

Despite pushback from Republicans such as Wren Williams, who requested for further evaluation of the process.

“A tree is known by the fruit that it bears, and if you are not courageous enough to do the right thing then we see the fruit displayed here,” Mundon King said.

A similar bill was proposed in 2021, but the Department of Corrections stated that the implementation would cost $23 million and therefore did not pass the House. There is optimism that it will finally pass this time, giving inmates the opportunity to be given some sense of control.