New this week from Solitary Watch: 

In the most recent Voices from Solitary piece, Dwayne “Bim” Staats recounts a situation where he and other men were trapped in an isolation unit with no ventilation while the air vents spewed noxious gas. While Staats’s attempts to find out the cause of the gas were unsuccessful, the symptoms he describes the men experiencing mirror those of carbon monoxide poisoning—a medical emergency so potentially deadly that most states require carbon monoxide detectors in homes and buildings. The environmental and medical hazards commonly found in prisons and jails are well-documented, supported by the work of researchers, grassroots organizers, and other incarcerated writers. Solitary Watch

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

A man at Camp East Montana in Texas, the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in the U.S., was so severely beaten he had to be hospitalized and placed in a wheelchair. Afterward, Gerald Akari Angye was locked away in solitary confinement for over two weeks. Others joined Angye in a lawsuit against the ICE detention center alleging an array of abuses, including lack of medical care, physical and sexual abuse by guards, poor food, inadequate access to basic hygiene products, and more. “I have already experienced torture in my home country of Cameroon and I never thought I would experience such severely violent treatment by guards here in the United States of America,” said Angye. KWBU | The suing plaintiffs are requesting a judge certify the group for a class action lawsuit, which would include roughly 800 individuals currently detained at the Camp East Montana center, and anyone possibly detained there in the future. The plaintiffs are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation, along with other civil rights legal organizations. Bloomberg Law

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After being detained by ICE, Brayan Rayo Garzon spent days in isolation in a Missouri jail battling COVID-19 symptoms and having his requests for mental health treatment ignored. After being denied his nightly call with his mother, Garzon was found dead only an hour later from suicide. The unprecedented and rising number of suicides among ICE detainees continues to alarm public health officials and jail experts. At least ten people have died by suicide since President Trump took office in January 2025. Associated Press

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A man with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia died by suicide less than one month after being sent to a San Diego jail. Following a previous attempt at taking his own life, Grant Parker, 34, was placed alone in a cell in what was supposed to be a 24-hour observation module, where he was later found dead. The incident has caused calls to remove any tie-off points inside cells that could be used in a suicide attempt. The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Alex, a ninth-grade boy diagnosed with autism and oppositional defiant disorder, was held multiple times a day by Texas school officials in a room in what was effectively solitary confinement, instead of receiving the care and attention needed for his diagnoses. “You should just be a normal boy. Why can’t you be a normal boy,” a school aide yelled at Alex. Alex’s story is far from unique, with many schools across the U.S. using restraints and solitary confinement against children with disabilities. In some scenarios, children spend entire school days in solitary confinement for a single behavioral outburst. Inquest

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In 2018, Colorado passed an amendment to the state constitution aimed at ending slavery in state prisons, prohibiting forced labor in addition to incarceration. In 2022, plaintiffs brought a class action lawsuit against the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) for punishing incarcerated people who refused to participate in mandatory work programs. Often, these punishments would include solitary confinement, loss of earned time credit and good time, or loss of phone calls and family visiting. Despite the constitutional amendment and lawsuit, currently, 97.4% of incarcerated workers laboring for government entities are paid less than a dollar an hour. The Conversation

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Over a hundred young people are filing a lawsuit against San Bernardino County detention facilities, citing a systemic culture that allowed almost 30 years of unchecked sexual abuse. Youth claimed they would often be forced to participate in sexual acts with guards under threats of solitary confinement or fear of retaliation. The lawsuit described dozens of instances of abuse, including rape, sodomy, groping, and other forced acts of molestation. “Defendant stated that even if she said anything no one would believe her as she was a failure to society,” the lawsuit quotes. SBSun

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The “walk” is a term people in solitary confinement at the Southeast Correctional Center in Missouri use to describe the area in between solitary cells. Incarcerated author Da’Shae Breeze describes their experience in solitary confinement and the lifeline given by conversations that can occur along the walk. Prison Journalism Project

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