Solitary Confinement

If I were to draft a law regulating the use of solitary confinement, the elements of my law would contain a maximum of 1 year. However, I would regulate laws as to how long they should stay in solitary confinement based on what their offense is. Prisoners do not automatically get sent into solitary confinement. If you are still serving your time in solitary confinement and you misbehave, the time that you would be sentenced to in solitary confinement would get added on to what you have left even if it means going over a year. For example if someone is sentenced to 9 months in solitary confinement and then they do something that sentences them to 5 months then they would spend 14 months in solitary confinement.
For the most part I would give officials a free hand. I would make it clear to them that they need to make smart decisions and can only go as far as what is deserved. I would also let them know that if a prisoner feels like the officials are overstepping their boundaries, then they have a right to bring them to court and I would not necessarily rule in their favor.
I would not let prisoners challenge their solitary confinement in court. When they enter prison all the rules and regulations will be read to them as well as on paper in front of them. They will need to sign it identifying that they agree to all of the terms and conditions and if they go back on it then they will be sent to solitary confinement. Posted around the prison I will have the serving time in solitary confinement based on their previous offenses, and what they did. They would also be informed as to what they are being sent to solitary confinement for and it will be posted in their cell so they know from day one. However, if officials are going against what the prisoners are sentenced to then they are allowed to take it to court.

Gangs

Gangs will never cease to exist. Not completely anyway. So many people are involved in gangs and most of them will be for the rest of their lives. Either they can't get out, or they don't want to get out. Many people don't even want to join a gang to begin with but they are forced into it. If it ever becomes easier to escape the gang, those who do not want to get out will rally more people up to keep their gang large and strong. Very few ideas that the government has come up with will work. One of them being the witness protection program. There is a vast amount of people that want to leave the gang and live a normal life but they can't because their fellow gang members will hurt or kill them. However, if they change their identity and leave the area to a place where they can't be found then more of them will be more willing and less scared to leave.