Our series, Voices From Solitary, is composed of dispatches from people surviving the lived experience of solitary confinement. Since truth and transparency can serve as powerful antidotes to injustice, the featured pieces tend to fit into one or more of the following criteria: 

1. Emits an underlying theme of hope by highlighting acts of resistance or moments of community; 
2. Spotlights an injustice that is uniquely produced by solitary confinement, and;
3. Depicts how solitary confinement, as a system, has evolved over time. 

Essays within this series tend to be 1,000-1,500 words in length. We have a hard maximum of 2,000 words. For accepted submissions, writers receive a modest payment of $150 and up. Each piece published under Voices from Solitary is accompanied by a brief introduction about the author. Upon acceptance, a Solitary Watch staff member will directly contact the author to gather the appropriate information that should be included in the bio. 

In order to submit a piece for consideration, formerly and currently incarcerated writers can either send their piece in the mail to our Solitary Watch PO Box 11374, Washington DC 20008 Attn: Voices from Solitary or by email to Valerie Kiebala, the Managing Editor, at valerie@solitarywatch.org. If sent by mail, our review and publication process may be extended due to the delivery time of the letter. Therefore, your patience as you wait to hear back from us is greatly appreciated!