New this week from Solitary Watch:

For Solitary Watch readers who are inspired to take action against the pervasive practice of solitary confinement, the Resources section on our website (see top menu) now includes Resources for Action. This curated selection of national organizations and state campaigns offers a starting point for getting involved in the movement to end solitary. We will also periodically be featuring Action Alerts as part of this weekly roundup—see below for the first of these alerts. Solitary Watch

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This week’s pick of news and commentary about solitary confinement:

Six men being held in solitary confinement in Massachusetts have filed a class action lawsuit against several Department of Correction (DOC) officials due to the “oppressive conditions” of their confinement. The lawsuit alleges that the DOC is violating the limits on use of solitary confinement as put forward in Massachusetts’ Criminal Justice Reform Act, and is being filed on behalf of hundreds of people in solitary in Massachusetts. Three of the named plaintiffs, Tykorie Evelyn, Jerome Meade, and Emmitt Perry, have spent approximately 15 months, 17 months, and 12 months, respectively, in solitary confinement. They allege that they were confined for nearly 24 hours a day, and their access to services or programs heavily restricted, if not outright denied. Boston Globe

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The families of three men who committed suicide within five months last year at the Adult Correctional Insitutions in Rhode Island filed a suit against Department of Corrections officials and corrections officers. The families allege that despite the men expressing their suicidal intentions, the prison administrators and officers failed to take the steps to prevent them from harming themselves. Two of the three men, Brian Rodenas and Dana Leyland, were housed in solitary when they died by suicide, despite Rodenas’s documented history of severe mental illness and Leyland’s suffering from withdrawal due to substance use disorder. Providence Journal

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Jessica Sandoval, the national director of the Unlock the Box Campaign, wrote a Letter to the Editor arguing that discussions about improving the conditions of D.C. jails should include the ending of solitary confinement. She points out that Washington, DC, has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, and notes the proven harms that solitary confinement has on incarcerated people’s health. Sandoval states, “Ending solitary confinement and inhumane practices, while improving transparency and accountability, could transform our correctional system into one that rehabilitates and respects every individual’s dignity.” Washington Post

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On June 25, the New York City Board of Correction (BOC) voted unanimously to pass rules to implement Local Law 42, which will greatly limit the use of solitary confinement in city jails. Dr. Robert Cohen, a member of the BOC, stated at the meeting, “There is no evidence that city jails are safer because of solitary confinement, but they are certainly more dangerous to the people confined in these cells.” The passing of these rules, which will go into effect on July 28, 2024, has received pushback from the Adams administration. MSN |NYC Board of Corrections | CBS

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Amber Kim, a transgender woman, was forcibly removed from the Washington state women’s prison she was housed at for over three years and transferred to a men’s facility last week after being accused of having a consensual sexual relationship with another incarcerated woman. Kim was denied the opportunity to speak to her lawyer and see the paperwork that authorized her transfer. When she arrived at the men’s prison she was being transferred to, she was placed in solitary confinement as punishment for refusing to transfer. Kim is still being housed in solitary confinement, and is currently on a hunger strike, demanding to be transferred back to the women’s prison. Huffington Post

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The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a wrongful-death settlement of $15 million–the largest wrongful-death settlement in their history–to the family of Elisa Serna, a 24-year old pregnant woman who died alone in her cell in Las Colinas women’s jail in 2019. This settlement may be the first of many, as dozens of other suits against San Diego County have arisen, alleging deputies and medical staff have violated policies and ignored pleas for help, leading to preventable deaths under their care. San Diego Tribune

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Xandan Gulley discusses the struggles and hardships of being transgender incarcerated man in Texas, a state that has particularly harsh anti-trans legislation and laws against gender-affirming care. Gulley has been housed in solitary confinement for the past five years, and details the assaults he has faced by officers and inmates. On top of this violence, Gulley faces uncertainty each week as to whether he will receive his T injections or gender-affirming care. (Gulley is a recipient of the Ridgeway Reporting Project grant from Solitary Watch.) Into More

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Teddrick Bates, an incarcerated man in Texas, has been in solitary confinement for over eleven years. In this video, Bates describes the strong relationship he holds with his mother and how important her visits are to him. Bates says, “[K]nowing that, you know, it’s hot outside. You know what I’m saying. She’s 54 years old. Standing in that heat…Driving on that road after working so many hours a day and, having to go back home after sitting in this cold ass visitation room, watching her son being deprived…It feel good seeing her, but it also come with, it come with a reflection.” Texas Letters

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The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) adopted a “Resolution On Ending Solitary Confinement,” which “urges all Presybterians to call upon their city, state, and federal elected officials to enact legislative or administrative reforms ending prolonged solitary confinement in city, state and federal jails prisons and detention centers.” Passed on July 2nd, the Presbyterian Church joins the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ denominations in calling to end of torture and solitary confinement. National Religious Campaign Against Torture

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Action Alerts for the week:

States of Solitary is an “artivism” (art + activism) event to be presented by the Unlock the Box Campaign, in partnership with Human Rights Watch and Zealous, on Thursday, July 18, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Eaton Hotel in Washington, DC. The event is free, but registration is required. According to the organizers, the event “will use artistic expression to unite…justice-impacted people, including survivors of solitary confinement, professional service providers in the mental wellness, public health, and criminal justice sectors, as well as funders and advocates dedicated to increasing public safety and ending state violence.” The event will include exhibits and workshops, and “its goal is to highlight the ongoing humanitarian crisis and to envision a future without solitary confinement.” Solitary Watch is a supporting partner and will be on site with an exhibit of Photo Requests from Solitary. States of Solitary

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