Three recent developments across our region make clear that the work IAHR does is more urgent than ever.

In Maryland, new data shows that the number of inmates whose death was classified as a homicide while in a Maryland state prison reached 14 in 2025, the highest within the last decade. Researchers and advocates are pointing to a staffing crisis as a contributing factor. The number of allocated correctional officer positions across Maryland's 13 state correctional prisons has decreased by 18 percent between July 2019 and July 2025, and a union report found that all institutions operated with a ratio of more than 100 inmates to 1 officer. When staff are stretched that thin, incarcerated people bear the consequences, and those already in isolation are among the most vulnerable. The Daily Record

Dear Friends,

Spring has a way of asking us to pay attention to what is still alive.

This month, as I look back at the last several months of IAHR's work, I find myself genuinely moved by the people who make this organization what it is. The volunteers who write letters. The returning citizens who stand up in front of legislators and tell the truth about what isolation does to a person. The families who call us not knowing quite where else to turn. The staff who carry this work with so much care.

March 2026 | Organizational Updates & Programs

2026 is a year for IAHR to lead boldly, deepen its roots in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and build the infrastructure needed for long-term transformation. Behind the headlines about legislation and coalitions, there is a growing organizational foundation of programs expanding, funding increasing, and new systems being built that make all of our advocacy possible. Here is a look at what is happening across IAHR right now.