Tag: Solitary Confinement
One artist is bringing attention to the inhumane practice of solitary confinement by creating dream home of Black Panther activist Herman Wallace, who was alone in a cell for 41 years. Wallace, who was convicted of stabbing and killing a prison guard, was allowed to leave his cell for 1 hour a few times per […]
In a unanimous decision of 7-0, the New York City Board of Corrections has approved a policy change to end solitary confinement for inmates ages 21 and under. This comes on the heels of the decision to end the practice for 16 and 17-year-old inmates back in September. Prior to Tuesday’s decision, the De Blasio administration had […]
According to an internal memo, the New York City Correction Department will stop putting 16- and 17-year-old inmates into solitary confinement by the end of 2014, the New York Times reports. There are currently 51 adolescents in solitary confinement at Rikers Island, where it is used as “a primary form of punishment” of teens. In the memo dated September 25th, the correction […]
Andy Henriquez died in his solitary confinement cell from a torn aorta, in severe pain, while guards ignored his and other inmates’ cries for help, DNAinfo reports. After a shocking report detailing institutionalized abuse, rights violations, a “culture of violence” and frequent medical emergencies experienced by young inmates at Rikers Island, other cases of systemic corruption are being brought to light, […]
Rikers Island inmates aged 16-18 are subject to institutionalized abuse, constitutional rights violations and systemic corruption, according to the findings in a blistering U.S. Department of Justice report released on Monday. The 79-page report out of the United States Attorney’s Office in Manhattan details horrific conditions for male teenagers housed there between 2011-13. DOJ investigators say there is a […]
In a deal sparked by an NYCLU lawsuit, New York State will scale back the use of solitary confinement in its prison system, banning the practice for prisoners under 18 and limiting it for pregnant and developmentally disabled people. “New York State has done the right thing by committing to comprehensive reform of the way […]
Solitary confinement is hell. (Seriously.) So it’s good news that the New York City Department of Corrections will no longer stick inmates with mental illnesses in “the bing” when they break the rules. In a program that takes effect this year, inmates with conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder will instead be placed in Clinical Alternative […]
In retaliation to the mass California Prison Strike, on its twelfth day now, guards and authorities have been blasting cold air into cells, stealing legal documents, and even preventing inmates from speaking with lawyers. Drastically decreased temperatures put thousands of prisoners — many of whom are already on the brink of starvation — at serious risk […]
For over 30,000 prisoners in California, today marks Day 5 of a massive strike. Those in solitary confinement will continue to go without food, while those in general housing will protest work, until they’ve achieved their goal: to be treated with basic human dignity. One of the major aims is to save thousands of unjustly […]
