SHU
Law & Legal abbreviation · Criminal Law
| Stands for | Special housing unit |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
SHU stands for Special housing unit, a criminal law abbreviation.
Segregated housing area in federal prisons and some state prisons where inmates are held in restrictive confinement, either for discipline or for administrative reasons such as protection or investigation. Inmates typically spend 22 or more hours a day in their cells.
Example: He spent 90 days in the SHU after the contraband phone was found in his cell.
Usage notes
Pronounced "shoe". The term is used by the federal Bureau of Prisons and by prisons in California and New York; other systems say administrative segregation, restricted housing or solitary confinement. New York's HALT Solitary Confinement Act, effective in 2022, limits most segregation to 15 consecutive days.
Related abbreviations
More criminal law abbreviations
- 5K – Substantial assistance departure (U.S.S.G. § 5K1.1)
- ACD – Adjournment in contemplation of dismissal
- ADW – Assault with a deadly weapon
- ARD – Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition
- B&E – Breaking and entering
- BOP – Federal Bureau of Prisons
- BW – Bench warrant
- CDS – Controlled dangerous substance
- CI – Confidential informant
- CO – Correctional officer
- COA – Certificate of appealability
- cr – Criminal (case-type code)
See all 46 criminal law abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.