U.S. Senate Invites Testimony on Solitary Confinement

From Solitary Watch:

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On June 19, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights, chaired by Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin, will hold the first-ever Congressional hearing on solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails. The subcommittee is inviting “interested advocates and experts” to submit written testimony to be included in the hearing record. This is a rare opportunity for those with an interest in this issue–including people with firsthand experience of solitary confinement, and their loved ones–to make their voices heard at the highest levels of government.

All those who wish to submit testimony need to do so by June 15 at 5 p.m. Statements should be emailed to Nicholas Deml at Nicholas_Deml@judiciary-dem.senate.gov. Statements should be less than ten pages. They are customarily addressed to the committee’s chair and ranking minority member–in this case, “Dear Chairman Durbin and Ranking Member Graham.” It is also advisable to begin by identifying yourself, your affiliation, and your connection to the issue of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails.

Solitary Watch will be creating an archive of written testimony, accessible to all on the website. If you wish to be included, please send a copy of your statement to solitarywatchnews@gmail.com.

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News from the American "Super-Max"

At the BBC, Sean Clare and Daniel Nasaw report on conditions in American "Super-Max" prisons, with a focus on ADX Florence in Colorado:

"The prison, known for its high-profile inmates, small cells and restrictions on contact with the outside world, has an infamous international reputation: mainly because of its policy of holding its inmates in almost permanent solitary confinement."

At The Atlantic, Andrew Cohen reports on the suicide of Jose Martin Vega at ADX Florence. A lawsuit alleges that officials at the notorious prison are responsible for Vega's death:

"The pending complaint alleges that Supermax officials mistreated Vega in contravention of Bureau of Prison policies governing the treatment of prisoners with mental health diagnoses. "BOP policies require that mentally ill prisoners be monitored on an ongoing basis to asses treatment compliance," the complaint states, but "BOP does not provide adequate mental health staffing at ADX Florence, given the size of the mental health caseload at that facility." Vega may be gone, in other words, but the problems his case highlight likely linger."