Overusing solitary confinement is shameful. Hiding it just makes it worse. (Petition John Kerry)

[morningfog]

It only takes seven days locked alone in a tiny cell to significantly slow down someone’s brain activity. With no human interaction, there is little to distinguish one hour from the next — people’s brains deteriorate.

Solitary confinement often causes mental and physical suffering and can amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment and even torture, according to Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. That means the U.S. has a serious human rights problem in our own backyard.

Not only are there around 80,000 people locked in solitary confinement every day in the U.S., but the federal government is dragging its feet on responding to Mr. Mendez’s repeated requests to examine the use of solitary confinement in prisons and jails in this country.

Perhaps it’s because the U.S. has something to hide.

There is overwhelming evidence that solitary can cause severe — even permanent — damage to someone’s psychological and social abilities. Yet, U.S. prisons still use the practice widely and indiscriminately. Federal, state, and local prisons and jails, as well as immigration detention centers and even juvenile facilities, have near-total discretion to use solitary confinement for any reason, and for however long, they choose.

The dangerous over-use of solitary makes us an outlier on the international stage. The U.S. routinely keeps people locked in cells the size of parking spaces for much longer periods than other countries. Last year, Herman Wallace passed away after spending more than 41 years in solitary in a Louisiana prison. Compare this with what Mr. Mendez found in his global report on solitary. Stints in solitary in Kazakhstan have lasted just over two months. And in China, an individual sentenced for "unlawfully supplying State secrets or intelligence to entities outside China" was allegedly held in solitary confinement for two years of her eight-year sentence. That’s bad. But many prisoners in this country suffer much worse.

We have a solitary problem. Change will only come if we make sure this problem sees the light of day. Urge the U.S. government to extend an invitation and facilitate Mr. Mendez's visit without further delay. It’s the first step toward coming into line with international norms.

https://www.aclu.org/solitary#_=

Sign the petition at the link.

[morningfog]

1. kick.

[NobodyHere]

2. I say this as someon who's been in prison.

Solitary should only be used for people who threaten other prisoners or who are an imminent threat to other prisoners. Prisons have a responsibility to the inmates safety.

[Solly Mack]

3. K&R