A case disputing the constitutionality of solitary confinement in Kansas is moving forward, reports The Topeka Capital-Journal.
The legal challenge is being brought by an inmate who has been in solitary confinement at Hutchinson Correctional Facility for the past 850 days. Earlier this month the Kansas Court of Appeals ordered the Reno County District Court to consider whether Cledith Bohanon’s long confinement violated his constitutional rights. The new ruling ensures the case will be questioned in a Kansas courtroom.
In the late 1970s, Bohanon was convicted of aggravated burglary and aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer.
Prison officials say Bohanon’s solitary confinement isn’t meant as a punishment. They insist he was placed there to separate him from the general prison population due to suspected misbehavior.
Solitary confinement can sometimes last decades. It sometimes affects prisoners who have not been found guilty of wrongdoing within the prison.