Six months in, and the work has not slowed down.

As we cross the midpoint of 2026, we want to share where we've been, what we've built, and where we're headed. This year has brought real momentum (and real challenges) across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

What We've Accomplished

Our Prison Pen Pal and Correspondence programs continue to be a lifeline for incarcerated individuals, particularly DC residents housed in federal facilities far from home. We've supported more than 600 incarcerated individuals this year and are on track to facilitate more than 2,000 letters in 2026, adding to the more than 6,000 letters exchanged since the program's inception. In Virginia, our volunteers continue responding to the more than 1,200 grievance letters we receive from incarcerated individuals annually, documenting abuse, coordinating advocacy interventions, and referring urgent cases to legal partners. This correspondence is not just connection; it is evidence. It directly informs our legislative priorities and shapes what we bring to the table in state capitals.

On the policy front, IAHR coordinated advocacy efforts around HB35 and related restrictive housing legislation in Virginia, mobilizing directly impacted individuals, faith leaders, students, and community members to participate in hearings, submit testimony, and engage legislators. In Maryland, we worked alongside coalition partners and legislative sponsors to support SB908 and HB1154, coordinating coalition strategy, constituent engagement, and testimony preparation focused on the harms of long-term isolation.

Beyond the legislature, IAHR participated in educational forums, university discussions, faith-based presentations, and community conversations on solitary confinement, reentry, trauma, and restorative justice. We facilitated survivor-led storytelling and policy advocacy trainings, supported directly impacted individuals in developing their testimony and advocacy skills, and mentored formerly incarcerated women and men interested in legislative engagement.

The Maryland and Virginia Coalitions on Solitary Confinement, which IAHR leads and convenes, continued to expand, deepening relationships with advocacy organizations, faith communities, legal advocates, and formerly impacted leaders throughout the DMV region.

What We're Still Fighting

The political landscape remains difficult. Legislative barriers, fiscal concerns, procedural delays, and shifting political priorities slowed the advancement of reform legislation in both Virginia and Maryland this session. Virginia's governor vetoed solitary confinement reform bills in 2024, and staffing shortages in both states continue to trigger facility-wide lockdowns, deepening the very isolation we are working to end.

In Maryland, annual reporting data (mandated by legislation that IAHR helped draft) shows that 50% of the state prison population experiences solitary confinement at least once each year, with average stays of 44 to 50 days. That far exceeds the 15-day limit established under the United Nations Mandela Rules.

DC residents face a compounding challenge: because DC does not operate its own prison system, approximately 4,500 to 4,700 DC residents are currently incarcerated in federal facilities across more than 30 states, often hundreds or thousands of miles from home, family, and their faith communities.

What's Ahead

The second half of 2026 is a critical window. IAHR will continue advancing restrictive housing reform legislation in Virginia and Maryland, expand coalition membership and constituent organizing, and increase advocacy training and leadership development opportunities for directly impacted individuals. We are also deepening partnerships with universities, faith communities, and community organizations, and strengthening our public education campaigns on the harms of prolonged isolation.

Internally, we are building the sustainable funding base and organizational infrastructure needed to sustain this work for the long term.

The setbacks this session did not diminish what was built. The coalitions are stronger. The leaders are more prepared. The public understands more than ever what solitary confinement does to people. That is the foundation for what comes next.

Thank you for being part of it.

Photo by 150 Billi on Unsplash