Chicago rapper Lil Durk finds himself back in restrictive housing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, just days before a key bond hearing and weeks after a major courtroom win.
According to a November 2 report from TMZ, Durk Devontay Banks was transferred to the Special Housing Unit on October 30. Jose Rojas, a union secretary representing Bureau of Prisons employees, confirmed the move to the outlet. Sources with knowledge of the situation told TMZ that staff had repeatedly searched Durk’s cell since his September acquittal on murder-for-hire charges and found no contraband. He reportedly questioned a deputy warden about the searches and was reprimanded for “talking back” before the transfer.
The Bureau of Prisons has declined to discuss the specifics. A spokesperson told TMZ the agency does not comment on individual housing assignments, potential disciplinary matters, or security measures for privacy, safety, and security reasons. XXL and Complex both carried the TMZ account and noted their own requests for comment from the BOP and Durk’s team had not yielded further details.
This is not Durk’s first stretch in the SHU at the facility. Earlier reporting showed he spent about 131 days in restrictive housing after an alleged unauthorized Apple Watch incident that began around late August 2025. His attorneys, including Christy O’Connor, raised concerns at the time about the length of isolation, limited phone access, restricted visits, and the lack of timely process. He returned to general population in January 2026. The latest placement is a separate incident.
Durk was acquitted in September 2026 of the federal murder-for-hire and related stalking charges tied to the 2022 killing of Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson in Los Angeles. He remains in custody on separate racketeering-related VICAR and firearms allegations connected to his Only The Family collective, which prosecutors have described as a criminal enterprise. Those charges are allegations. His trial on the remaining counts is currently set for August 2027.
The reported transfer landed just ahead of his November 4 bond hearing before Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald. Durk’s legal team has put forward a package that includes future earnings, family property, and a Sony Music Entertainment guarantee of up to $1 million. Supporting letters have come from Jay-Z, J. Cole, Michael Rubin, and others. A bond hearing does not guarantee release.
The contrast is hard to miss. A major acquittal in September, continued detention on separate charges, and now another reported move into restrictive housing right before the court weighs whether he can go home while he waits for the next trial. Questions about the searches, the exact nature of the SHU placement, and how long it will last remain unanswered by prison officials.
