Managing inmate populations at prisons is never an easy task. Done well, it requires a constant reassessment of policies and a willingness to move on from a well-intentioned policy with a flawed result.

That's why we're glad to see that Minnesota Department of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell is ending a harsh policy that has, for the last eight years, barred inmates at the Shakopee women's prison from exchanging so much as a handshake or other nonsexual touch.

In a story by Star Tribune reporter Liz Sawyer, Schnell acknowledged that the no-touch rule "wasn't a healthy policy," and said that "over time, those things have become antiquated."

Admittedly, the department also was under pressure by the ACLU, which had requested data on all materials regarding the policy. But Schnell said he had started hearing the complaints shortly after he took office in January as an appointee of the new administration of Gov. Tim Walz. Schnell's career has been in law enforcement, including as a police chief, but his degree is in social work, and his emphasis on mental health has already become evident in his first year as commissioner. Schnell is already looking at the controversial practice of solitary confinement, which can itself trigger or worsen mental illness. A big part of that is not only the isolation, but the near complete absence of human touch.

At Shakopee, the no-touch rule more typical of solitary was instead imposed on an entire prison population of more than 600 inmates. It was an apparent reaction to a 2011 Bureau of Justice report that cited the Minnesota prison as having one of the worst records of sexual misconduct among female inmates in the country, with a rate two or three times that of some women's prisons in other parts of the country.

Well-intentioned though it may have been, the attempt to so tightly control relationships and sexual activity swung too far. It should also be noted that no attempt was ever made to impose such a policy in the men's correctional facilities, though sexual misconduct and even violent assault are present in those populations. As for keeping the women safer, it didn't stop a prison guard from sexually assaulting a female inmate earlier this year or his co-workers from keeping his secret. All involved were fired.

Some will have little sympathy for women who broke the law. But most are in prison for nonviolent offenses. And even prisoners should have the right to give a pat on the back, or offer a hand to comfort a grieving fellow inmate without risking punishment.

Schnell was right to rethink the policy. Human touch is so essential that the lack of it can trigger depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. As Schnell has noted, "95 percent of the people who are in Minnesota corrections facilities are coming back to communities across Minnesota. It's contrary to our interests to send them out without making them better than they were when they came in."

That's a good goal. We look forward to future changes Schnell will propose for reaching it.