New this week from Solitary Watch:

In the latest entry in the Voices from Solitary series, Dwayne “Bim” Staats and Jarreau “Ruk” Ayers co-author a piece about witnessing the mental destruction of two men—Kelly Gibbs and Keith Gibson—behind the torturous walls of solitary confinement. While awaiting trial, the two men were housed indefinitely in solitary, resulting in a deterioration of their mental health and well-being. After months in solitary, Gibbs committed suicide while Gibson began experiencing memory loss and suicidal ideation. Prior to being placed in isolation, Gibbs and Gibson both had plans to change their lives and reconnect with their families and communities. The piece ends with this chilling realization: “These court systems, these prison systems, these solitary confinement units aren’t beneficial for anything other than capitalizing off of warehousing human bodies and placing them on this conveyor belt of recidivism.” Solitary Watch

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

The New York City Council has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Eric Adams (D) in an attempt to force the mayor to carry out local law 549-A, a law banning solitary confinement in city jails. Last December, the City Council approved the bill, overriding Adams’s initial veto. In July, on the day before the law was set to go into effect, Adams declared a state of emergency and issued an order that blocked key parts of the law. The mayor has repeatedly extended the emergency declaration. In a statement, City Council speaker Adrienne Adams said “Mayor Adams’ emergency orders are an unlawful and unprecedented abuse of power.” New York Times

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Malik Muhammad, the man who received the harshest federal sentence due to his participation in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, has been in solitary confinement for more than 250 days. This despite the fact that the Oregon Department of Corrections officially the use of solitary confinement to 90 consecutive days. Since being placed in solitary, Muhammad has gone on hunger strike numerous times. Muhammad is a combat veteran with PTSD, and his attorney has expressed concern over how Muhammad’s treatment in prison will make it harder for him to reintegrate into the community. The Intercept

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The women once held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, the women’s prison dubbed “the rape club,” have reached a historic settlement that will increase oversight and protections for about 500 individuals transferred out of the facility. In August 2023, eight formerly incarcerated women filed a class-action lawsuit on the behalf of themselves and others, alleging widespread sexual abuse, medical neglect, and retaliation by prison guards. The settlement includes a consent decree, which requires close monitoring of staff abuse and retaliation, medical care, and the timely release of the women to halfway houses. In addition, the class members will no longer be placed in solitary confinement for low-level disciplinary charges. Los Times

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Carter Elementary School in Knox County, Tennessee, has placed a disabled eight-year old in isolation for more than 500 minutes in the span of 21 days. Having been diagnosed with a genetic brain malformation, autism, and severe ADHD, Lincoln requires specialized one-on-one support. He was placed in isolation in October when he suddenly began displaying significant behavioral issues. “It’s basically like solitary confinement,” said his parents. As Lincoln screamed and cried, Carter staff wouldn’t intervene until he started defecating and urinating on the floor. Although Lincoln has now been moved to a new school and is receiving the proper support, his parents are pushing for Knox Country schools to change their practices. WVLT 8

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The ACLU of Florida has criticized Baker County’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center for failing to provide adequate interpretation services for non-English speakers, effectively denying them essential communication about their cases and rights. In one instance, a woman was placed in solitary confinement for a month after she tried to request use of a bathroom and feminine hygiene products. Reports also highlight poor treatment of detainees, including inadequate medical care and neglect. The ACLU has called for immediate reforms to ensure compliance with federal standards and to protect detainees’ rights. WUFT

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The ACLU of Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against Otter Tail County Jail over allegations of severe mistreatment of a formerly incarcerated man, Ramsey Kettle. The lawsuit follows a Department of Corrections investigation revealing the jail deprived Kettle of food and water for two days while he was in solitary confinement. Staff reportedly withheld six meals, shut off the water, and ignored the signs of his deteriorating physical and mental health. “Our constitution is tested by how we treat those on the margins, with the fewest rights, when no one is looking,” said ACLU Minnesota attorney Catherine Ahlin-Halverson, “No one – no matter what brings them to be housed in a county jail or other carceral facility – deserves to be deprived of the most basic of our human needs.” KFGO

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In his latest piece, incarcerated writer Brian Bragg reflects how he makes the best of his time in “the hole” in Washington prisons. He was placed in administrative segregation for 15 days due to taking an allegedly unauthorized route to the gym. From obstructing unrelenting air conditioning with wads of wet toilet paper to being forced to eat his meals on the toilet, he struggled with the everyday cruelties of life in solitary. “I am determined to gain the skills I need to be successful upon my release,” Bragg writes, “but the way the prison is run seems counterproductive to that end.” Prison Journalism Project 

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