Seven Days in Solitary [11/30/2014]

by | November 30, 2014

Solitary confinement news roundup: 7 Days in SolitaryThe following roundup features noteworthy news, reports and opinions on solitary confinement from the past week that have not been covered in other Solitary Watch posts.

• According to a recently released United Nations report, the United States is not in full compliance with the Convention Against Torture, to which it is a signatory. The United Nations Committee Against Torture expressed particular concern about the conditions of isolated confinement at federal and state facilities across the country, including at the Bureau of Prisons’ supermax institution, Florence ADX.

• Disability Rights Nebraska has released a report calling for the state to provide better care and discharge planning for those with mental illness held behind bars. Co-author Brad Meurrens said, “Releasing an inmate without adequate discharge planning is like saying, ‘Good luck — we will see you again.”

• Dakem Roberts of Resist Rikers was featured on WBAI, in advance of an upcoming rally to demand more substantive changes at the city jail, especially with regards to solitary confinement.

• Nebraska’s Legislative Department of Correctional Services Investigative Committee continued to hear evidence on the use of solitary confinement across the state. A psychologist who left Tecumseh state prison after working there for six months testified that not all placements in isolation were justified. “There were times that I witnessed and experienced what does generic clonazepam look like individuals getting time in administrative segregation that was completely unwarranted,” she said.

• Nikko Jenkins, who killed four people within weeks of his release from solitary confinement, is now suing Nebraska’s Department of Corrections for $1.7 million. Jenkins maintains that his mental health deteriorated significantly during his 2.5 years in isolation; his written requests for psychological treatment, hospitalization, and even civil commitment – made before his release – were all denied by the DOC.

• Despite a recent ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding his release, Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 still remains behind bars and in solitary confinement. Carine Williams, a lawyer for Woodfox, told Democracy Now, “There is no legitimate explanation for [his continued incarceration].”

• A New Jersey lawmaker will shortly introduce a bill to reduce the use of “isolated confinement” at the state’s correctional facilities. If passed, the legislation would bar placement in solitary for longer than 15 days, except in special circumstances.

• Florida’s Secretary of the Department of Corrections, Michael Crews, is stepping down from the post. Crews has come under significant scrutiny since his appointment in 2012, especially in relation to the death of Randall Jordan-Aparo, who passed away in his solitary confinement cell after being gassed twice by guards.

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