Dear Friends,

Thank you for taking action throughout 2021 and being such a crucial part of NRCAT’s work to end torture. We’ve shared stories of the incredible impact NRCAT has had in 2021 in both our national security and U.S. prisons work. 

I want to share with you some of the highlights of what we have planned for 2022. Your generous support will help us transform these ideas into reality.

National Campaigns: As the Guantanamo prison reaches the 20th anniversary of its opening on January 11, 2022, NRCAT will mobilize the voices of faith leaders on that day and throughout the year to push for its closure. 13 of the 39 remaining detainees are cleared to leave the prison.

National Media: In 2022, we will begin releasing Humans Out of Solitary, NRCAT’s new collection of thirty 1–3-minute videos of interviews of solitary survivors – amplifying the voices of those most harmed by isolation in U.S. prisons. NRCAT will also be releasing our new 15-minute film that updates our 2015 film, Breaking Down the Box. Our focus on faith and survivor activism in 2022 will be leveraged in national media like USA Today, NBC, and through quarterly media roundtables we’ll be holding as we seek to change hearts and minds on ending torture.

Legislation: We have been working on legislation that we hope will be introduced in early 2022 to end the CIA’s secret use of drones and to end prolonged solitary confinement in the federal Bureau of Prisons. We will also push for the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act to include provisions to close the Guantanamo prison, supporting President Biden’s pledge to close it.

People of faith share a common call to practice compassion, to pursue justice, to live faithfully, to offer hospitality, and to make peace. There is no reason these same values cannot guide our policy and practice as a nation.

I invite you to donate to NRCAT’s year-end fundraising campaign today to support these plans we hold for 2022, and to get one step closer to a torture-free world. 

Thank you for your partnership.

Rev. Ron Stief
Executive Director

PS - Your donation today moves NRCAT one step closer to our end of year fundraising goal of $30,000. Thanks to a generous challenge match, this month your donation of $25 becomes $50, $50 becomes $100. Please donate today and together we can end torture.