Dear Friends,

Yesterday, the End Solitary Confinement Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate on the 10th anniversary of former South African President Nelson Mandela’s death. This groundbreaking bill, which is a companion to the bill introduced in the House of Representatives earlier this year, would end solitary confinement in federal prisons, immigration detention centers, and other federal and federally contracted facilities with very limited exceptions. More than 170 organizations have endorsed the bill, including more than 30 faith organizations.

You can help build support for the bill by writing to your Senators asking them to cosponsor the End Solitary Confinement Act.

The End Solitary Confinement Act promotes human rights and honors the legacy of Nelson Mandela, who was in and out of solitary confinement over his 27 years of incarceration during the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa. This historic legislation would stop torture, save lives, and improve safety for everyone by prohibiting solitary in most cases and specifically for vulnerable populations, with exceptions for conflict de-escalation and emergency lockdowns. 

Please write to your Senators asking them to cosponsor the bill. Together we can end torture and uphold the God-given dignity of all people. You can read more about the introduction of this important bill in this coverage from NBC news. 

“The End Solitary Confinement Act won’t just help over 11,000 people being held in extreme isolation in our federal prison system, it could also trigger other much-needed changes to the criminal legal system — and society as a whole. As one who spent three years in solitary confinement, I can say without a doubt that nothing in my life can compare to the psychological and physical toll solitary took on me.” -- Johnny Perez, Director of the U.S. Prisons Program at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in a press release from sponsor Senator Ed Markey

Sincerely,

The NRCAT Team - Ron, Johnny, Laura, Michael, & T.C.