News Articles and Editorials
Baltimore Sun, The lonesome death of Emily Butler.
Baltimore Sun, Editorial Board supporting review of Maryland Policy
"My Night in Solitary," by Rick Raemisch, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Corrections (New York Times)
Testimony by Anthony Graves, Death Row exoneree
Testimony by the American Bar Association
"The Torture of Solitary Confinement," George Will
Watch Eric Holder Blast the ‘Excessive’ Use of Solitary Confinement in Juvenile Facilities
Reports
Silent Injustice: Solitary Confinement in Virginia. This report discusses the negative impacts of solitary confinement as practiced in Virginia, the systemic difficulties prisoners have in escaping it and returning to the general population, and the State’s failure to exclude individuals with serious mental health problems from solitary confinement despite the existing law and science establishing the especially damaging impacts of isolation on this vulnerable group of people.
Callous and Cruel: Use of Force against Inmates with Mental Disabilities in U.S. Jails and Prisons, a new report from Human Rights Watch, details the systematic use of excessive and punitive staff force against incarcerated people with mental disabilities and the use of solitary confinement in U.S. jails and prisons. A powerful five minute video that includes footage from behind bars accompanies the report.
Beyond Incarceration: Lock Down for Persons with Disabilities (PDF) 2017. Disability Rights Maryland released a detailed report of findings related to segregation and its negative impacts, particularly for persons with disabilities. DRM’s report exposes the harm and misuse of segregation, legal violations and offers recommendations; including references to better and safer alternatives.
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Restrictive Housing Report-2017.
Solitary Confinement: Common Misconceptions and Emerging Safe Alternatives, a new report from the Vera Institute of Justice, identifies 10 misconceptions about solitary confinement and spotlights alternatives that have been implemented throughout the U.S.
Susan Hill Rose, Reducing Segregated Housing: But – What Else Can We Do?