During the late 20th century, assignment to Administrative Segregation -- in some states known as solitary confinement -- was standard protocol for difficult, dangerous offenders. In 2011, philosophies regarding Administrative Segregation began to shift. The late Tom Clements, then executive director of CDOC, felt that change was in order for Colorado. In 2011, the Colorado legislature laid the foundation for Administrative Segregation overhaul in the form of Senate Bill 11-176, which set forth guidelines for reclassification efforts and the awarding of earned time. The bill mandated significant changes, the likes of which few U.S. departments of correction had adopted. The reforms have been implemented over the course of 2 years at various stages. The initial results are worth celebrating. There were no suicides in Restrictive Housing in the last year. The rate of assaults on staff, across the agency, are half of what they were in 2006. The average length of stay in Restrictive housing is currently approximately 7 ư months and less than 1% of the CDOC population is housed in Restrictive Housing. Something that we are doing is working.
