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John, did you hear the news?
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris plans to sign an executive order adopting the United Nations’ Mandela Rules to significantly limit solitary confinement in county prisons.
This decision marks an important step toward an abolitionist future, showing us what's possible when we choose human dignity over punitive isolation.
This type of change is possible, John. Not decades from now. Right here, right now. These systems can be broken in our lifetime. And with the abolition of solitary confinement, we get that much closer to realizing Black liberation for all of us.
The path forward demands a radical shift away from solitary confinement, a practice rooted in the brutal isolation tactics first used during chattel slavery. True alternatives to solitary confinement aren’t just about less isolation; they're its complete opposite.
This means robust investments in meaningful human connection, comprehensive mental and behavioral healthcare, trauma-informed care, and deep rehabilitative and educational programming. Pouring into community works. Shutting people away does not.
In These Chains
By Kenneth Reams
I am still here surviving
Simply because
Momma taught me to never run
I was taught to face my problems
But
These tears in my eyes
Are not metaphors
My spirit is exhausted from this tribulation
And my will
Is literally running on fumes
I am existing on an empty tank
There is no more resilience
Left in the bank
I am tired of being tired
Of being a peon
Is the thought
That's constantly bouncing around
Like dice in my brain
All my life I have worn these chains
I want to give more
I want to be more
want to do more
With my life
Something other than
Wrestling with the challenge
Of living inhuman
Like an animal
For the rest of my life
In these chains
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Nationwide, there's a powerful movement growing. In just a few years, we've seen bills addressing solitary confinement skyrocket from around 33 in 2015 to over 150 introduced in 2024 alone. Our momentum is growing. The future is now!
We see beyond mere reform. Our vision is abolition: a future entirely free from solitary confinement and the carceral systems built on white supremacy and oppression.
Instead, we imagine a society where community-based solutions, restorative justice, and mental health care replace punishment. We envision communities grounded in true safety, healing, and liberation. We can do this. Shelby County is just one example of these truths.
Right now, the U.S. is the exception to the rule. Across the globe, solitary confinement is seen as torturous and extreme. It’s time to bring the U.S. out of the past and into the future, and it starts by abolishing solitary confinement. That's why the work that the Unlock the Box campaign is doing is so important.
Are you with us?
Sign up now to ensure you receive our final send, which will include our toolkit. Together we can build an abolitionist future together. No more torture. No more solitary confinement.
Together, we are creating a world where human dignity thrives, and torture has no place.
In solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
P.S. We hope you didn’t forget! Our announcement is almost here! Next week’s email will reveal all so make sure you keep opening our emails, and stay tuned. Trust, you won’t want to miss out!
Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It’s time we thrive.
As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.
A recurring contribution of anything you can afford goes a long way as we plan for the months, years, and even decades ahead. This is the most effective way for small-dollar donors (like you) to power our Black liberation work.
Will you make a recurring contribution of $5 or more today so that we can keep building momentum for our movement?
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