Solitary Watchs Solitary 101 Powerpoint Presentation

7/30/2019 Solitary Watchs Solitary 101 Powerpoint Presentation

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An Introduction to Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons and Jails

A Solitary Watch Production (www.solitarywatch.com)


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A Brief History of Solitary Confinement


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Walnut StreetJail

Solitary was firstintroduced in 1790at the Walnut StreetJail in Philadelphia

by the Society forAlleviating theMiseries of PublicPrisons.

It was seen as ahumane alternativeto overcrowdedjails, whippings, andpublic humiliation.


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Eastern StatePenitentiary

ESP opened in1829 as an all-solitary prison.

Men were keptalone in their cellsto contemplatetheir sins, seek

forgiveness fromGod, and becomepenitent.


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TotalIsolation

Prisoners werepermitted nopossessions, only aBible.

When escortedoutside their cellsthey wore hoods

over their heads.

This was the firstsystem designed toreform, instead ofsolely to punish.


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The unfortunates, on whom this experiment was made, fellinto a state of depression;their lives seemed in danger, ifthey remained longer in this situation; five of them, had

already succumbed during a single year; their moral state wasnot less alarming; one of them had become insane; another,in a fit of despair, had [attempted suicide].

This trialwas fatal to the greater part of the convicts:thisabsolute solitude, if nothing interrupts it, is beyond thestrength of man; it destroys the criminal withoutintermission and without pity; it does not reform, it kills.


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I believe that very few men are capable of estimating theimmense amount of torture and agony which thisdreadful punishment, prolonged for years, inflicts upon

the sufferers

I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries ofthe brain to be immeasurably worse than any torture ofthe body; andI denounce it, as a secret punishment whichslumbering humanity is not roused up to stay.


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The AuburnSystem

Prisons began toabandon solitary infavor of theAuburn System:

daily hard labor ingroups, whereprisoners workedsilently and march

in lockstep.

By the late 19thcentury, long-termsolitary was rare.


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Surveying the use of long-term solitary, the Court found thata considerable number of the prisoners fell, after even a

short confinement, into a semi-fatuous condition, fromwhich it was next to impossible to arouse them, andothers became violently insane; others still, committedsuicide; while those who stood the ordeal better were notgenerally reformed, and in most cases did not recover

sufficient mental activity to be of any subsequent service tothe community.


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Alcatraz

The Rock openedin 1934 to housethe worst of theworst of the

federal prisonsystem.

The Hole at

Alcatraz wasnotorious, but mostprisoners were notin solitary

confinement.


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The MarionLockdown

Opened in the1960s to replaceAlcatraz, Marionwent into

lockdown inOctober 1983 afterthe murders of twoguards--and

remained that way.

States began toimitate thepermanent

lockdown model.


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Pelican Bay

Opened in 1989,Pelican Bay wasamong the first to

be purpose-builtas a supermax.

It houses morethan 1,200

prisoners insolitaryconfinement, inwindowless

concrete cells.


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Begin by over-crowding the prisons with unprecedentednumbers of drug-users and petty offenders, and makesentences longer across the board.

Dismantle many of the rehabilitation and education programs

so prisoners are relatively idle.

Add to the mix a large number of prisoners suffering fromserious mental illness.

Obstruct and restrict visiting, thus cutting prisoners off evenmore from the outside world.

Respond to the enlarging violence and psychosis bysegregating a growing proportion of prisoners in isolativesettings such as supermaximum security units....


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Ignore the many traumas in the pre-incarceration histories ofprisoners as well as traumas such as prison rape that take placeinside the prisons.

Discount many cases of mental disorder as malingering.

Label out-of-control prisoners psychopaths.

Deny the malingerers and psychopaths mental healthtreatment and leave them warehoused in cells within

supermaximum security units. Watch the recidivism rate rise and proclaim the rise a

reflection of a new breed of incorrigible criminals andsuperpredators.


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SupermaxBoom

Rapid growth tookplace in the 1990sand early 2000s.

44 states and thefederal systemnow have stand-alone supermax

prisons.

Hundreds of otherprisons and jailshave solitary

confinement units.


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Solitary Confinement in the United States Today


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2005 census by the Bureau of Justice Statistics: 81,622individuals held in restricted housing in the nationsprisons.

2005 study: 25,000 of these segregated prisoners held insupermax prisons around the country.

Figures do not include local jails, immigrant detentioncenters, juvenile facilities or military facilities.

True total is likely to be over100,000.


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Administrative Maximum

Special Housing Unit

Security Housing Unit

Restricted Housing Unit

Intensive Management Unit

Behavioral ManagementUnit

Communications

Management Unit

Disciplinary or PunitiveSegregation: Punishment forviolating prison rules

Administrative Segregation:Based on gang affiliation,political beliefs, originalcrime, or other classifications

Involuntary ProtectiveCustody: Protection forvulnerable people in prison


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The World ina Cell

Most cells measureless than 8 x 10feetthe size of aparking space.

Work, education,and rehabilitativeprogramming are

banned.

TVs, radios, andreading materialsmay or may not be

permitted.


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Lockdown23/7

Prisoners spend 22to 24 hours alone incells.

They exercisealone in a walled orfenced enclosureresembling a dogrun.

Visits with familyare forbidden orseverely limited.


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No Way Out

Many cells haveno windows.

Some cell doorshave bars, butmost are solidsteel.

Food slots arealso used for

communicationwith guards,medicaltreatment, andpsychotherapy.

Drawing by Martin Vargas.


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In California, the average term in solitary is 6.8 years. Of the1,111 prisoners in the SHU, 513 had served 10 years or more;78 of these had been in the SHU at least 20 years.

The longest isolated federal prisoner, Thomas Silverstein,has spent 29 years under a no human contact order.

The longest isolated state prisoners, Herman Wallace andAlbert Woodfox, have are now spending their 40th year insolitary.


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Its so small I can only make about four steps forward before Itouch the door. And if I turn and Im about-face at any place inthis cell Im going to bump into something. Its really smallerthan anybodys bathroomBut Im used to it and thats one ofthe bad things about it

Im in the cell for 23 hours a day and a lot of time 24 hoursbecause I dont come out. I have to spend a great deal of my

time catching up on reading and writing topeople that Icommunicate with. It helps me to maintain what little sanitythat I have left, to maintain my humanity and dignity.


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http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3
http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/kip/standalone/world/1334585861759/5478/gdn.ps.120416.hermanwallace.mp3


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The United States is the only democratic nation to practicesolitary confinement on a large scale.

Sarah Shourd, the American hiker who spent 13 months insolitary in an Iranian prison, said after her release: Thereally scary thing is that the US government and manygovernments were very critical of Iran for holding me insolitary for 13 and a half months, but when I got out I was

shocked to find that the US had more people in solitaryconfinement than any other countryand in this country itis used routinely as an administrative practice.


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Solitary inEurope

In the UK, solitaryis largely bannedbeyond 3 weeks.Fewer than 40

people are in long-term segregation.

In Norway, mass

killer AndersBreiviks cell has 3adjoining rooms,including a studyand a fitness room

with treadmill.


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Research since the 1970sshows that that solitaryconfinement alters neural andtherefore psychological states.

Prisoners in solitary developpsychopathologies at muchhigher rates than those in the

general population.

Prisoners exhibited decreasedEEG activity after just one

week in solitary.


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social withdrawal

panic attacks

irrational rage

loss of impulse control

paranoia

hypersensitivity to external stimuli

severe and chronic depression

difficulties with concentration and memory

perceptual distortions and illusions


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I lost the will to live. I lost hope, even though I was scheduledto be released in a couple years. Depression overwhelmed meIlost so much weightthat all the bones in my body protrudedI

had no appetite and wanted to die.

Every day I went to sleep I got down on my knees andprayed that I would die in my sleep, yet Gods will was notmine. When I woke up in the night I prayed harder for death. I

couldnt sleepI went days pacing back and forth like azombie I looked like I was already dead and I had no will to live.Day after day all I saw was gray walls and over time my worldbecame the gray box.


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In New York, suicides are

5 times higher in solitary.

In California, about 5percent of all prisonersare in solitarybut up to70 percent of suicides

take place there.

Teens are 19 times morelikely to commit suicidewhen placed in isolation.


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Self-mutilation in the formof cutting, otherwiseunknown among adult

men, is common practicein solitary confinement.

Prisoners in solitary havebeen known to bite into

their own veins and cut offtheir fingers and testicles.


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I would watch guys come to prison totally sane and in threeyears they dont live in the real world anymore. I know a guywho would sit in the middle of the floor, wrap [his sheet]around himself and light it on fire. Another guy would go out inthe recreation yard, get naked, lie down, and urinate all overhimself. He would take his feces and smear it all over his face asthough he was in military combat. This same manwas ruledcompetent to be executed.

Solitary confinement does one thing; it breaks a mans willto live and he ends up deteriorating. Hes never the sameperson againIts inhumane by design and it is driving men

insane.


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http://youtu.be/fX0KkqWAwWc?t=2m48s
http://youtu.be/fX0KkqWAwWc?t=2m48shttp://youtu.be/fX0KkqWAwWc?t=2m48s


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California

Gang validation based ontattoos or reading materials

Possession of five dollars ormore without authorization

Participation in a strike or

work stoppage

Self mutilation or attemptedsuicide for the purpose ofmanipulation

New York

Failure to obey an orderpromptly

Testing positive formarijuana

Reckless eyeballing

Refusing to return a foodtray

Possession of an excessquantity of postage stamps


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Prisoners with mental illness or developmental disabilities

Children who misbehave or who are deemed to be in need ofprotection

LGBT individuals

Non-English-speaking prisoners

Muslims, including but not limited to those accused or

convicted of terrorism-related offenses

Prisoners who hold radical political beliefs or seek tochallenge prison conditions

Anyone who complains of abuse by prison officials

I l ti th


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Isolating theMentally Ill

Up to 1/3 third of

prisoners in solitary

in state prisons

suffer from

underlying mental

illness.

Most will

decompensate

further as a result

of being placed in

isolation.


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PsychiatricTreatment

Treatment, if any,often consists oftherapyconductedthrough a feedingslot, or grouptherapy sessionsin adjoining

cages.

Child i


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Children inSolitary

Thousands of kidsunder the age of 18are held in solitaryconfinement in

adult prisons andjails, for their ownprotection or aspunishment.

Hundreds moreare held in isolationin juvenilefacilities.

Immigrants


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Immigrantsin Solitary

Many of the400,000 people inthe immigrationdetention system

each year spendtime in solitary,with no due processand no recourse.

Some are asylum-seekers who havebeen tortured intheir countries of

origin.

Solitary at


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Solitary atGuantnamo

Up to 80 percent ofthe detainees atGuantnamo Bayhave been held insolitaryconfinement.

They are held in

indefinitedetention,meaning there is noend in sight to their

torture.


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I am moving towards a dark cave and a dark life in theshadow of a dark prison. This is a prison that does notknow humanity, and does not know [anything] except the

language of power, oppression and humiliation forwhoever enters it

[I will] leave this life which is no longer anymore called alife, instead it itself has become death and renewable

torture. Ending it is a mercy and happiness for this soul.

(Adnan Latif committed suicide in his cell in September 2012.)


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In addition to its human costs, solitary confinement isexpensive, in large part because of added staffing costs.

One study estimated that the average per-cell cost of

housing an inmate in a supermax prison is $75,000, asopposed to $25,000 for an inmate in the general population.

It costs $92,000 per year to hold a prisoner in solitary atIllinoiss Tamms Correctional Center--two to three timesmore than at the states other maximum-security prisons.

The Solitary confinement of some 12,000 state prisonerscosts California taxpayers an additional $175 million per year.


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The Rising Movement Against Solitary Confinement


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Amnesty International

American Civil Liberties Union

American Friends Service Committee

Center for Constitutional Rights

Human Rights Watch

National Immigrant Justice Center

National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Physicians for Human Rights


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In 2011-2012:

California

Georgia

Ohio

North Carolina

Virginia


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International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

UN Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)

UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners(SMR)


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Mendez reports to the UNCommission on HumanRights

In October 2011, he calledfor a total ban on solitaryfor juveniles, mentally ill,pre-trial detainees.

Solitary should be limitedto 15 days for everyoneelse, and used only forsafety purposes.


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June 19, 2012:Reassessing SolitaryConfinement: TheHuman Rights, Fiscal and

Public SafetyConsequences

First Congressionalhearing held on solitary,with testimony fromcorrections officials,legal experts,psychiatrists, survivors


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National Religious

Campaign Against

Torture sponsors a one-day fast in run-up toSenate hearing.

Participants include

people of faith fromaround the country.


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ALTERNATIVE MEDIA MAINSTREAM MEDIA


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Maine

Grassroots activism

Press expos

Legislation introduced andstudy commissioned

New leadership at the DOC

Result: 50 percent reductionin solitary confinement

Mississippi

Years of litigation by theACLU

Joint involvement of DOC,ACLU, psychiatrists, healthcare providers and prison

experts in reclassificationof prisoners in solitary

Result: 75 percent reductionin solitary confinement

Activism in


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Activism inIllinois

Grassrootsactivism by TammsYear Ten

Litigation byUptown PeoplesLaw Center

Press expos

Concern over highcost

Action by

governor

Activism in


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Activism inCalifornia

Hunger strike bygroup in solitaryspreads throughprison system

Grassrootsactivism

Amnesty

InternationalReport

Widespread presscoverage

Activism in


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Activism inNew York

Litigation andlegislation to limitsolitary for peoplewith mental illness

Grassrootsactivism on stateand city levels

NYCLU report

Press coverage

Meetings with

legislators


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Arizona

Colorado

Louisiana

Maine Maryland

New Jersey

New Mexico

Ohio Pennsylvania

Texas

Virginia


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2012 by Solitary Watchwww.solitarywatch.com

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http://www.solitarywatch.com/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/http://www.solitarywatch.com/

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Solitary Watchs Solitary 101 Powerpoint Presentation