Inside the Battle to End In-Cell Restraints in Prisons
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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In late July 2026, state authorities in Connecticut reached a historic legal agreement (ctmirror.org, acluct.org). The Department of Correction agreed to end the practice of in-cell shackling across state facilities (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). This agreement brings an end to years of federal litigation (ctmirror.org, clearinghouse.net). Civil rights organizations like the ACLU of Connecticut and Disability Rights Connecticut led the court battle (ctmirror.org, acluct.org). Interim Correction Commissioner Sharonda Carlos signed the settlement order (ctmirror.org, corrections1.com). The new policy mandates a complete end to in-cell mechanical restraints by September 1, 2026 (ctmirror.org, corrections1.com).
Furthermore, the landmark settlement represents a major shift in state correctional policy (ctmirror.org, ctmirror.org). For decades, prison administrators used physical chains and tethering devices inside cells (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Incarcerated individuals were frequently subjected to prolonged mechanical restraints (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Under the new agreement, prison officials must implement de-escalation techniques (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). They must also rely on clinical care during mental health crises (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Advocates view the settlement as a vital step toward protecting human dignity inside state institutions (ctmirror.org, acluct.org).
The Supermax Era and the Legacy of Isolation
To understand this legal turning point, one must look back to the 1990s (ctmirror.org, ctmirror.org). In 1995, Connecticut opened Northern Correctional Institution in Somers (ctmirror.org, ctmirror.org). Built as a high-security supermax facility, Northern housed individuals in complete sensory deprivation (ctmirror.org, ctmirror.org). Administrators designed the prison to lock individuals in concrete cells for 22 to 24 hours per day (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com).
Inside Northern, in-cell shackling became a standard disciplinary measure (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Correction officers routinely placed individuals in waist chains, leg irons, and handcuffs (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). A short tether chain frequently bound their hands directly to their feet (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Consequently, prisoners remained trapped in extreme physical confinement while inside their cells (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com).
Early legal battles attempted to address these harsh conditions (clearinghouse.net, justia.com). In 2001, civil rights attorneys challenged the use of five-point mechanical restraints in Joslyn v. Armstrong (clearinghouse.net, justia.com). Later, the 2003 lawsuit OPA v. Choinski sought to remove seriously mentally ill individuals from Northern (clearinghouse.net, ndrn.org). However, independent audits later revealed that systemic abuses continued across the facility (ndrn.org).
Systemic Racism and Disparities in State Custody
The physical burden of restrictive housing has never been distributed equally (sentencingproject.org, ct.gov). Deep racial disparities exist throughout the Connecticut prison system (sentencingproject.org, census.gov). Black residents make up roughly 11 to 13.6 percent of the general population in Connecticut (census.gov). Yet, Black individuals account for more than 41 percent of the total state prison population (sentencingproject.org). This imbalance reflects the broader system of mass incarceration across the United States (sentencingproject.org).
Furthermore, these racial disparities become even more extreme within high-security units (ct.gov). Department of Correction data shows that Black and Hispanic individuals account for 77 percent of people in restrictive housing (ct.gov). In administrative segregation units, Black and Hispanic prisoners make up 82 percent of the population (ct.gov). Moreover, they represent 88 percent of individuals assigned to security risk group status (ct.gov).
In addition, state data regarding youth confinement reveals similar patterns (newsfromthestates.com). A 2024 report by the Office of the Child Advocate examined mechanical restraint incidents among youth (newsfromthestates.com). The report revealed that Black youth accounted for 80 percent of all stationary or in-cell restraint applications (newsfromthestates.com). Consequently, Black and Brown bodies have disproportionately endured the physical pain of mechanical confinement (sentencingproject.org, newsfromthestates.com).
Psychological Traumas and the Homicide of J’Allen Jones
In-cell shackling created a harmful cycle inside Connecticut state prisons (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Incarcerated individuals suffering from severe psychological distress often expressed their panic outwardly (amazonaws.com, acluct.org). Individuals would bang on cell doors or scream out of sheer desperation (amazonaws.com). Officers frequently viewed these psychiatric symptoms as disruptive misconduct (amazonaws.com). As a result, staff responded with physical force and mechanical restraints (amazonaws.com).
This dangerous dynamic turned deadly at Garner Correctional Institution in March 2018 (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). J’Allen Jones, a 31-year-old Black man living with schizophrenia, suffered a severe mental health crisis during a cell transfer (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). Correction officers forcibly restrained him and sprayed him with chemical pepper spray (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). Officers then placed a spit hood over his head (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). A spit hood is a mesh mask designed to prevent biting or spitting (corrections1.com, fox61.com).
Medical experts emphasize that spit hoods can cause severe respiratory failure when combined with pepper spray and chest compression (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). Officers held Jones down while medical personnel injected him with a sedative (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). Jones stopped breathing shortly afterward (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). The Chief Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by physical restraint and asphyxiation (ctexaminer.com, corrections1.com). State prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against the officers involved (ctexaminer.com). However, a wrongful death lawsuit and public pressure eventually forced the court to release video footage of the incident in June 2026 (ctexaminer.com, ctexaminer.com).
Legal Battles and the Filing of DRCT v. Connecticut DOC
In February 2021, legal advocates took formal action against the state prison system (clearinghouse.net, aclu.org). Disability Rights Connecticut and the ACLU of Connecticut filed a federal class-action lawsuit (clearinghouse.net, aclu.org). Attorneys from Yale Law School and Morrison & Foerster joined the legal team (clearinghouse.net, aclu.org). The complaint alleged that in-cell shackling violated the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment (clearinghouse.net, amazonaws.com).
Shortly after advocates filed the lawsuit, Governor Ned Lamont announced the closure of Northern Correctional Institution in June 2021 (ctmirror.org, ctmirror.org). While the closure of Northern was a major milestone, the practice of in-cell shackling did not end (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Instead, correctional administrators retrofitted cells in other facilities with four-point restraint hardware (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Officers transferred shackling practices to prisons like Walker, Garner, Cheshire, and Corrigan (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com).
In response, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in May 2022 (clearinghouse.net, amazonaws.com). The updated lawsuit focused directly on the statewide continuation of mechanical restraints (clearinghouse.net, amazonaws.com). Civil rights advocates utilized the dynamics of federal power to challenge state authority in court (clearinghouse.net). Federal Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish eventually led structured settlement talks between the parties starting in June 2025 (clearinghouse.net).
- Routine in-cell shackling with waist chains and leg irons.
- Tethering hands to feet inside cells.
- Prolonged mechanical restraints lasting 24 to 72 hours.
- Hard metal cuffs for stationary restraint.
- Punitive shackling in response to non-violent mental distress.
- Restraints strictly limited to immediate threats of severe self-harm or violence.
- Mandatory use of soft, wide, and flexible non-metal materials.
- Verbal de-escalation prioritized by correctional staff.
- Immediate clinical intervention by mental health staff.
- Mandatory compliance tracking reported to external watchdogs.
Section 504 and Protecting Incarcerated People with Disabilities
The federal lawsuit relied heavily on disability rights legislation to protect incarcerated individuals (clearinghouse.net, amazonaws.com). Specifically, plaintiffs cited Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (clearinghouse.net, amazonaws.com). Section 504 prohibits entities receiving federal funds from discriminating against individuals with disabilities (clearinghouse.net, disabilityrightssc.org). Because state prison systems accept federal funding, they must abide by these federal statutes (disabilityrightssc.org).
Under Section 504, correctional facilities cannot punish individuals for behaviors caused by diagnosed mental health conditions (clearinghouse.net, disabilityrightssc.org). Moreover, prisons must provide reasonable accommodations and safe medical care (disabilityrightssc.org, ndrn.org). Prolonged in-cell shackling severely exacerbated psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia, depression, and trauma (amazonaws.com, acluct.org). Incarcerated individuals reported being placed in physical restraints between 10 and 50 times during their confinement (amazonaws.com).
Advocates argued that using physical force against individuals in crisis violated federal disability laws (clearinghouse.net, disabilityrightssc.org). Using a long-term civil rights strategy, attorneys demonstrated that clinical interventions must replace punitive measures (clearinghouse.net, aclu.org). The legal strategy established that prison walls do not strip citizens of their basic constitutional and statutory protections (clearinghouse.net, disabilityrightssc.org).
Terms of the Settlement and Future Accountability
The July 2026 settlement marks a dramatic turning point for the Connecticut prison system (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). Effective September 1, 2026, the Department of Correction must completely ban routine in-cell shackling (ctmirror.org, corrections1.com). Correctional staff may no longer use waist chains, leg irons, or tethers on individuals inside their cells (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com).
In addition, full-stationary restraints are now strictly limited to extreme emergencies (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). Staff may only apply stationary restraints when a person poses an immediate threat of severe self-harm or violence (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). Furthermore, any stationary restraint hardware must consist entirely of soft, wide, and flexible non-metal materials (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). The agreement completely outlaws hard metal cuffs or bed-anchored chain systems (ctmirror.org, aclu.org).
To ensure compliance, the settlement builds in rigorous oversight mechanisms (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). The Department of Correction must submit detailed usage reports to the ACLU of Connecticut and Disability Rights Connecticut (ctmirror.org, aclu.org). Furthermore, Correction Ombuds DeVaughn Ward announced that his independent watchdog office will monitor state facilities (ctmirror.org, prisonoversight.org). Mandatory staff training will now focus on verbal de-escalation and clinical care (ctmirror.org, amazonaws.com). Through continuous monitoring, advocates aim to ensure that systemic abuses never return to Connecticut prisons (ctmirror.org, acluct.org).
About the Author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is the founder of African Elements, a media platform dedicated to providing educational resources on the history and culture of the African diaspora. Through his work, Spearman aims to empower and educate by bringing historical context to contemporary issues affecting the Black community.
