ICE Detainees Put in Solitary After Going on Hunger Strike…and Other News on Solitary Confinement This Week
Seven Days in Solitary for the Week Ending 4/29/26
New this week from Solitary Watch:
In “I Will Choose Death Over Life Behind Bars,” a piece copublished with Truthout, incarcerated writer William Blake considers his own mortality due to life-threatening health issues developed while serving a life sentence in New York. Thirteen years ago, Blake authored an essay about solitary confinement called “A Sentence Worse Than Death.” Finally released from solitary after 34 years, Blake now confronts the hopelessness of ever being released from prison—and his resulting decision not to seek treatment for his health condition. The only thing that would change his mind, he writes, would be passage of the Elder Parole Act, now before the New York State Legislature, which would provide him with a glimmer of hope that he might at last gain true freedom. Solitary Watch
This week’s pick of news and commentary about solitary confinement:
Five detainees at Moshannon Valley Processing Center, the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Pennsylvania, were put in solitary confinement last week after going on hunger strike. The men were protesting for inhumane conditions, such as being fed food that make them sick. “They try to suppress us despite us trying to express ourselves in a non-violent and calm manner,” said an Ecuadorian detainee. While they confirmed men were placed in solitary confinement for trying to start a hunger strike, officials from GEO Group, the private contractor that runs Moshannon, deny that a hunger strike actually occurred. Penn Live | In a press release, U.S. Representative Summer Lee (D-PA) called for the closure of Moshannon after being denied a congressional oversight visit and the reported retaliation for the hunger strike. “Taxpayer dollars should not fund private institutions that inhumanely incarcerate people with little to no oversight or meaningful accountability,” said Representative Lee. Congresswoman Summer Lee
The death toll of immigrants in ICE custody is the highest in two decades, averaging one death per week. At least 17 immigrants have died since January and 48 since the start of the Trump administration. At least one, the death of Geraldo Lunas Campos at a facility in El Paso, is a confirmed homicide. Another dozen of the deaths were preventable with proper medical care. Setareh Ghandehari, advocacy director at Detention Watch Network, blames these deaths on the lack of accountability and profit-driven model of ICE facilities. Democracy Now | Several deaths in ICE custody were proven to have taken place in solitary confinement. Solitary Watch
Central Valley Annex, a private ICE detention facility run by GEO Group, is now the eighth to be opened in California. The facility is located at a former private prison that closed due a decrease in the state’s incarcerated population. The quiet opening of the facility comes after many reported abuses at nearby facilities, including medical neglect and detainees being placed in solitary confinement out of retaliation for reporting sexual abuse and inadequate food. Cal Matters
New state data and dozens of lawsuits reveal that New York corrections officers use security camera blind spots to assault incarcerated people. The data also reveals a stark increase of abuse by correction officers in the past decade. A lawsuit by Cliff Ryan Jr. alleged he was assaulted by guards for taking too long to pack and move his items to another dorm. This resulted in him being isolated in a Special Housing Unit, where he says he was assaulted again. Neither area had cameras. In a comment, the union for corrections officers blamed staffing shortages, long shifts, and reforms like the Human Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act for making officers more unstable and prone to violence. Spectrum Local News
Stanley Richards, the new New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner recently appointed by Mayor Mamdani, is the first formerly incarcerated person to oversee the city’s jails. After serving time on Rikers Island for robbery, Richards believes that he is uniquely prepared to serve as commissioner, caring for the well-being of both incarcerated people and prison staff. His first initiatives as commissioner include assisting in closing Rikers Island, launching new programs to prepare incarcerated people for re-entry, and limiting solitary confinement in accordance with a local law that was passed but never implemented. “We’re gonna lift this place up. We’re going to lift the people who work here. We’re to lift people who are sent to us for care,” said Richards. US News
Shawn Fraraccio, who has intellectual disabilities, was placed in solitary confinement for 16 months at Tarrant County Jail in Texas, despite not having the ability to understand his arrest. Witnessing her son lose 100 pounds and show signs of self harm, Christy Bridgman teamed up with the Texas Jail Project, advocating that her son “needs care, not a cage.” After raising public awareness and speaking at a meeting with commissioners, she was told that her son would be transferred to a mental health facility next month. Krish Gundu, the founder of the Texas Jail Project, claims that Fraraccio’s case reflects a larger pattern of the state of Texas criminalizing those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Kera News
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in Iowa ruled that Michael Dutcher is allowed to legally challenge his placement in solitary confinement. In his appeal, Dutcher claimed that his outcome was predetermined due to a 2021 incident where he killed a guard and a nurse at an Iowa prison. Given evidence of prison officials stating he would remain in solitary confinement for his actions, the Court ruled that his claim did not receive meaningful review. Yahoo! News
Women at the D.C. Jail are using a co-ed jail debate team to find their voice. Coaches intentionally assign roles so the women are not overshadowed by the male participants, requiring that at least two of the six speaking roles go to women. The experience has led women at the jail to feel more confident in telling their stories. For example, Chelsee Wright used to feel nervous and stuttered when presenting, but in a debate about solitary confinement she delivered powerful closing remarks about her story. “You wouldn’t believe this, but solitary felt like home. Being controlled, degraded and caged in was what she was used to…And by the way…the woman I just described is me,” said Wright. Ms Magazine | Just last week, the DC Jail team beat the Georgetown team in a debate over the abolition of solitary. Bloomberg Law
Action alerts:
The New York City Jails Action Coalition and the New York State HALT Solitary Campaign will host a community discussion on Monday, May 4, at 5:45 pm at the Cardozo School of Law, 55 5th Avenue, NYC. The panel and discussion will focus on Local Law 42, which bans most uses of solitary confinement in the city’s jails, and the need to finally end solitary confinement in New York City. Learn more and RSVP here: https://bit.ly/cardozomay4th
Get this weekly roundup in your mail every Wednesday, covering the past seven days of solitary confinement news and commentary. Subscribe today.
The work we do is made possible by your support. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation—large or small—today.
COMMENTS POLICY
Solitary Watch encourages comments and welcomes a range of ideas, opinions, debates, and respectful disagreement. We do not allow name-calling, bullying, cursing, or personal attacks of any kind. Any embedded links should be to information relevant to the conversation. Comments that violate these guidelines will be removed, and repeat offenders will be blocked. Thank you for your cooperation.