Join Senator Perkins For HALT Solitary Confinement Advocacy Day In Albany | April 22nd

Solitary Confinement:  Inconceivably, we have a human rights crisis here in New York State, as over 4,000 individuals—many of the most vulnerable and defenseless among us—are subject to state-sanctioned torture, in the form of solitary confinement.  This is an unacceptable situation and thus we continue the fight that Martin Sostre—a political prisoner and revolutionary born and raised in Harlem—commenced over forty five years ago when he first legally and successfully challenged the practice of solitary confinement as cruel and inhuman punishment.  In 2011, the United Nations Special Rapporteur agreed with this assessment, calling solitary confinement “torture”—plain and simple.

It is a clear fact that isolated confinement is an inhumane, dehumanizing and counterproductive practice from which nothing positive can follow—individuals who need intense intervention are cut off from all resources but underlying issues remain entrenched—and the goals of public safety, human dignity and rehabilitation are fundamentally sacrificed.  That is why I carry The HALT Solitary Confinement Act (Senate Bill 2659) which recognizes the hallmark principle that isolated confinement is effectively torture in practice and serves no useful or beneficial purpose whatsoever.  This public safety legislation—which will benefit everyone involved in the public protection system—wisely substitutes a rehabilitative and therapeutic model in place of isolation so that individuals can receive the programming, support and interventions needed to help them rehabilitate and grow. 

I urge everyone to participate in two key HALT Solitary Confinement Albany lobby days on this matter:  Wednesday, April 22^nd—organized by the New York Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement and Tuesday, May 5^th—organized by Community Service Society.    

To sign up for these HALT Solitary Confinement Lobby Days, or get more information, contact Agata via e-mail at ADera@urbanjustice.org or call 646-459-3048.  Please provide your name, cell phone number, email address, mailing address, and which day(s) you are interested in attending.  Please note that there are free buses leaving from New York City.