What 'Restricted Housing' Really Means in California Prisons (for families)

CDCR’s stated goal for this rulemaking (NCR 23-15) is straightforward: reduce the use of segregated confinement. For families, that matters because it frames “restricted housing” as something the department says should be used less often, not as a default response. The proposal is positioned as a change in how often and how long people are kept in these separated settings, with the intent of limiting their use.

One of the clearest changes in NCR 23-15 is language. The proposed regulations replace the term “segregation” with “restricted.” If you’re reading paperwork, hearing staff use new phrases, or seeing different wording in notices, that’s what’s behind it: CDCR is proposing that the official terminology shift to “restricted” across these rules.

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• ✓ Access to rehabilitative and education programs
• ✓ Access to mental health and healthcare services
• ✓ Out-of-cell recreation time

NCR 23-15 also targets how restricted-housing time is assessed. Under the proposal, several offenses would be removed from the SHU term assessment chart, and that chart would be renamed the RHU Term Matrix. In other words, the list used to assess restricted-housing terms is being revised and rebranded under the “RHU” name, with some offenses taken off the chart entirely.

For timing, the public comment period for NCR 23-15 has already closed. CDCR set February 2, 2024 as the close date, so the window to submit public comments on the proposed restricted housing regulations is over.

The notice for NCR 23-15 also scheduled a public hearing for February 2, 2024, from 10:00am to 11:00am, at CDCR Conference Room 150, 1515 S Street – North Building, Sacramento, CA 95811. If you’re trying to track what happened next, that date and location are the reference point you’ll see in the official record.