DATA TRACKER
Data for
Knowledge is power and having access to the most up-to-date information on legislation can help us all make informed decisions. This tracker is a database of solitary confinement bills from 2009 to present day. Criminal justice advocates, government and law enforcement officials, and public citizens can freely access the Legislation Tracker to review state by state proposals and actions, as well as trend-based data visualizations. Use the tabs across the top of the Tableau Story to easily navigate between dashboards. Each dashboard can be filtered using the drop down menus on the right. There’s also a ‘How To’ guide on the last tab of the dashboard.
- Map View generates a map that can be filtered by bill type, vulnerable group, actions by year, and final status
- Annual Trends View shows a trend line view of bills that can be filtered by state, bill type, vulnerable group, and final status
- Trends Comparison View presents the number of total bills acted on compared to bills filtered by state, final status and/or bill type
- Vulnerable Groups by State is a chart and table showing filterable, state-by-state data of bills addressing any vulnerable group
- Bill Types by State is a chart and table showing filterable, state-by-state data of bills by bill type
- Table View is a full data set showing state, bill number, a brief bill summary, and other relevant information about each bill. It can be filtered and sorted in multiple ways
The data tracker is not available on mobile devices. Please check back on a desktop or laptop.
We’ve used the data available in the legislative tracker to compile our own report on the legislative state of solitary confinement in this country.
Banning Torture: Legislative Trends and Policy Solutions for Restricting and Ending Solitary Confinement throughout the United States, is the first-ever comprehensive, nationwide analysis of legislation related to solitary confinement. It brings us closer to achieving our ultimate aim of eliminating solitary confinement by empowering public and private sector advocates with information to engage with lawmakers.
Potential users
Legislators
Legislators will be able to see what states have filed and passed bills similar to what they are considering filing. They can drill down and see a summary of individual bills or get a bird’s eye view of how many states across the country have filed and passed similar bills. They can link to the actual bill language they are interested in.
STUDENTS
Students writing reports on criminal justice will find a treasure trove of information about the trajectory and the current state of affairs when it comes to ending one of the country’s last form of government-sponsored state torture. By searching the database, students can generate statistics and download charts to illustrate their presentations.
VOTERS
Voters can get an in-depth understanding of how their state has sought to limit solitary confinement. What bills have been introduced? What topics have they addressed? Which ones have passed? How does the voter’s state stack up against other states?
Advocates
Citizen advocates seeking to end the torture of solitary confinement will find a wealth of information to help them educate the public and policy-makers. Does your state limit or ban different groups from being subjected to solitary confinement – youth, pregnant people, people with mental illness, the elderly? Has it passed legislation bringing it into compliance with the international Nelson Mandela rules limiting solitary to a maximum of 15 days? How does it stack up against other states?
researchers
This will be an indispensable resource for researchers exploring trends and patterns in how solitary confinement has been legislated across the United States. The numerous views and search categories allow for in-depth analysis of the data set of over 900 bills filed in states across the country since 2009 on solitary confinement.
journalists
Journalists covering the rapid evolution of legislative action to limit or ban solitary confinement will find the dashboard and key data source to supplement original reporting from the front lines of legislators, corrections officials and survivors of solitary confinement.
more ways to take action
NYC officials promised to end solitary confinement but their proposal is a sham and will violate state law, the HALT Solitary Act. Join us in holding NYC legislators accountable by calling out their fake ban. Don’t forget to visit the #HALTsolitary website for more info.
