“Inconsistent data provided to the federal government and nonprofit research groups makes it difficult to piece together how many people are in solitary confinement nationwide, according to a report released in May by watchdog group Solitary Watch and the advocacy coalition Unlock the Box. But the report found that in mid-2019 there were 122,840 people placed in solitary confinement for at least 22 hours a day within local, state, and federal correctional facilities.
“The Federal Bureau of Prisons has 11,150 people in restrictive housing, including over 2,000 who have been confined for more than 90 days, according to their online records. …
“The End Solitary Confinement Act aims to reform this practice into a tool for de-escalation rather than a regular form of punishment. The bill, in part, will allow solitary confinement to be used for emergency de-escalation incidents, for a maximum of four hours, and require guards or staff to check in on the person once an hour.
“Johnny Perez [Leading with Conviction™ 2017], director of U.S. Prison Programs for the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, also notes the bill’s significance because it addresses immigration detention centers. ‘A lot of inhumanity and atrocities happen in these facilities’ that tend to get ignored, he said, because they ‘don’t have the same protections that the regular John Doe in America would have if they were to get incarcerated.’ …
“Perez, 44, was in and out of Rikers Island jail from the age of 16 until he was sentenced at age 21 to 15 years in prison. For three of those years in an upstate prison, Perez says he spent one year in solitary confinement and was in and out for short bids for two years.
“‘Inside, if you have any sort of substance abuse or substance use, you go to a solitary’ instead of receiving resources, Perez said.
“Most of his infractions were for smoking marijuana — a habit that increased each time he was released from solitary confinement. As a young person, Perez says being in solitary impacted his self-esteem, and because of limited visibility inside the cell, his eyesight was ruined when he returned to the general population.”
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By making a donation in honor of JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
© 2024 JustLeadershipUSA. All Rights Reserved.
JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.
