Today, Solitary Watch is publishing the tenth in a series of fact sheets that offer facts, analysis, and resources on a variety of topics related to solitary confinement in U.S. prisons, jails, and immigrant and juvenile facilities. This fact sheet, written by Roxanne Barnes, is titled “Solitary Confinement and Prison Activism.”

As the fact sheet states: “Solitary confinement is frequently used as a way of deterring people in prison from stepping out of line, and punishing them when they do. Prisons often interpret organizing as a threat to institutional power and control, and do everything they can to prevent people from advocating for their civil rights or for better treatment.” The fact sheet goes on to document how solitary confinement has been used in response to incarcerated people filing grievances, protesting conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, contacting the media, launching hunger strikes and labor strikes, and serving others as jailhouse lawyers. It concludes with a section on supporting prison activism, as well as a list of resources.

The first fact sheet in the series addresses “Racism and Solitary Confinement,” while the second covers the often overlooked “Collateral Consequences of Solitary Confinement.” The third in the series documents the “Psychological Effect of Solitary Confinement,” the fourth challenges misconceptions about “Solitary Confinement and Prison Safety,” the fifth explores “Solitary Confinement and the Brain: The Neurological Effects,” and the sixth addresses “Solitary Confinement and Prison Oversight.” The seventh fact sheet covers “Children in Solitary Confinement,” the eighth is on “Women in Solitary Confinement,” and the ninth documents the growing us of “Solitary Confinement in Immigration Detention.” Future entries in the fact sheet series will cover the specific impacts of solitary on LGBTQ+ individuals and on Muslims accused and convicted of terrorism-related offenses, as well as solitary confinement and the law and the high fiscal costs of solitary. All existing fact sheets can be found together on this page.

Fact sheets are designed to be accessed online and also printed out and copied for use by educators, advocates, policymakers, and others.