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To: Governor Cuomo, the New York State Legislature, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), and local Departments of Corrections

HALT Solitary Confinement! #together23

End the torture of isolated confinement, and pass the Humane Alternatives to Long Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act, A. 4401 / S. 2659.

HALT would prohibit placing anyone in isolated confinement for more than 15 consecutive days, and would create more humane and effective alternatives. HALT would also restrict what infractions can lead to isolated confinement, ban the placement of particularly vulnerable groups, and make prison and jail processes fairer, with more transparency and accountability.

Why is this important?

New York State prisons and jails subject thousands of people every day to the torture of isolated confinement, often for minor rule infractions. People are held in their cells 22 to 24 hours a day, for months, years, and even decades at a time without any meaningful human contact or programming. People of color are disproportionately subjected to isolation, and particularly vulnerable groups, like young people and people with mental health needs, are disproportionately held in isolation. These conditions amount to torture and must stop!

Want to learn more? Watch the National Religious Coalition Against Torture's doc, Breaking Down the Box. http://www.nrcat.org/torture-in-us-prisons/breaking-down-the-box
https://player.vimeo.com/video/129764024

Albany, NY, United States

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2021-06-04 02:19:54 -0400

10 signatures reached