Dear Friends, This week, U.S. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove and U.S. Senator Edward Markey announced the re-introduction of the End Solitary Confinement Act (ESCA) in the U.S. Congress. The End Solitary Confinement Act represents an important step in the national fight to end federal solitary confinement, especially given the unconscionable policies of the Trump Administration to launch its campaign of mass detention of immigrants by ICE and other federal agencies. The End Solitary Confinement Act (ESCA), first introduced in Congress in 2023, is the most comprehensive and far-reaching legislation ever proposed to end the torture of solitary confinement. Urge your Members of Congress to join as a cosponsor of ESCA. Solitary confinement is a form of torture, and placement in solitary for any period of time can cause self-mutilation, suicide, anxiety, depression, and other forms of mental and physical deterioration. Over 11,000 people are held in solitary confinement on any given day in federal prisons and other facilities. The End Solitary Confinement Act bans solitary in all federal facilities, with limited exceptions, and prevents extended facility lockdowns by including a 4-hour maximum time limit for emergency de-escalation. While allowing for longer-term separation from the general facility population, the legislation also ensures that all people incarcerated in federal facilities would have access to at least 14 hours of meaningful daily group out-of-cell time and 7 hours of programming daily. ESCA also establishes due process protections, guarantees a private right of action and other oversight mechanisms, and incentivizes states and municipalities to adopt similar bans on solitary confinement. NRCAT has prepared a toolkit with resources to inform your faith community about the End Solitary Confinement Act and how to support it. The End Solitary Confinement Act has been endorsed thus far by over 180 national, regional, and local organizations spanning faith, human and civil rights, immigration rights, and criminal legal system reform communities. See the list of organizational endorsers and contact Laura Markle Downton, Director of Faith and Community Engagement, if you would like to add your organization or congregation’s support for the bill. TAKE ACTION: Contact your Members of Congress today and ask them to join as a cosponsor of ESCA. Thank you for supporting this important federal legislation, The NRCAT Team | 
