Three years ago, the state put in place new limits on how long inmates can be held in isolation or what used to be called solitary confinement.

But two recent suicides at the New Jersey State prison have led to renewed questions over whether the Department of Corrections is following the law.

Years of research shows inmates with mental illness shouldn't be kept in isolated confinement for prolonged periods because it intensifies suicidal thoughts.

The new law requires prisoners in those housing units to leave their cells for at least 4 hours a day.

But a deeper probe by the state's corrections ombudsperson shows, at least in some prisons, that isn't happening.

Our senior writer Colleen O'Dea investigated and joins me now with her latest reporting.

Colleen, a good to talk to you.

What a great report.

I want to ask you first what we know about these suicides and if there are any details that show us that being in the solitary confinement led to this tragic case.

So we know that there were five last year and then one in January of this year to one of those from last year.

So to since Thanksgiving involved people who were in a restorative housing unit or at a unit where you were very much set aside from the other folks.

So that's something that lots of studies have said is not good, particularly for people with a mental health illness and the person who died this year, we are told by a number of sources, did have some mental health concerns so that the Department of Corrections is investigating and they are not providing any more details.

So how much time are inmates getting outside of their cells and how do we know that that information is accurate?

One gentleman who I spoke with said that in the month of December, he only got outside for 3 hours in the entire month.

There is a state law that requires everyone to get out of their cell for at least 4 hours a day.

The state ombudsman for corrections did a survey last year and found that in that over the course of the spring, there were only three locations where individuals were actually getting those 4 hours out.

So when you spoke with the Department of Corrections, are they taking steps to at least meet the bare minimum requirements of this law, or are they taking steps to prevent situations like this where inmates die by suicide?

So they you know, they say that they are really trying their best to meet the law.

There are a number of things that make that hard for them.

For instance, when you've got folks who are in older prisons like New Jersey State Prison, which is one of the oldest prisons in the nation, the hallways are small.

And if there is any kind of an issue in a wing where where folks are and officers have to go investigate, then essentially there's a lock down and no one can get out of their cell.

So that makes it harder, if not impossible in some days for everyone to get out.

In terms of the prevention of suicides, the state has been doing a number of things.

They do screen inmates as they come in for mental illness.

They do have a task force now that is looking at this.

They say that that all officers, all staff are authorized to put anybody on a suicide watch.

So we're really not sure what happened in this in these last two instances.

But something fell through the cracks and these these people were able to commit suicide.

Yeah.

As as is evident, the there's a correction ombudsperson in place.

Yes.

Who is supposed to not only take the grievances that come from the inmates, but also look into them.

What did that office find?

And does it bear out what your reporting shows?

Yeah.

So they it's it's just constant complaints that the office gets of folks saying that they are not getting time out of their cells as as required by the law.

The women's prison, in fact, was where it was most likely for folks to be able to get out.

And that's because there are these restorative housing units.

Those are smaller.

So it's easier for for the officers to be able to get people in and out.

And is there any indication, Colleen, that the state is going to step in and put more oversight into this?

So that's a good question.

The Ombudsman's office says that whenever they make a report, the state is required to respond.

Now, the state responded to us.

They haven't issued any a formal report, response.

They are expected to put out a report later this month or perhaps early next month.

Looking from their perspective on what's happening in terms of their compliance with the the state law.

So we'll have to see what more they maybe have to say.

And you can obviously check out Colleen's full reporting, which it shows how New Jersey stacks up compared to the rest of the nation.

Colleen O'Dea, thank you so much.

Thanks a lot, Bri.