Overview

• The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Illinois inmate Michael Johnson, who was kept in solitary confinement for three years without any opportunity to exercise.
• Johnson's lawyers argued that the deprivation of yard time, in the absence of a true security justification, violated the Constitution’s bar on cruel and inhumane punishment.
• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, dissented from the court’s decision, highlighting the dismal conditions of Johnson's confinement.
• Johnson, who has been diagnosed with severe mental health conditions, saw his mental state deteriorate rapidly during his time in solitary confinement.
• The Illinois Department of Corrections justified the harsh treatment due to Johnson's continuous misconduct, including assaulting correctional officers and other inmates.