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Urge Congress to Act on Solitary Confinement

Dear Reader,

In 2018, General Convention formally condemned solitary confinement for all those who are incarcerated or in detention. Since that time, Episcopal Public Policy Network members have advocated for a federal ban on solitary confinement, working in partnership with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, as well as addressing the issue on a state-by-state level. A recent report by Solitary Watch and Unlock the Box Campaign estimates that 122,000 people are held in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails at any point in time.

Solitary confinement, which is usually defined as being confined alone for 22-24 hours a day, has been shown to cause psychological and physiological harm. Prolonged solitary confinement – isolated confinement lasting more than 15 days – is considered a form of torture by the United Nations. 

As we seek to “remember those in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured” (Hebrews 13:3), we urge Congress to pass the End Solitary Confinement Act (ESCA), which prohibits the use of solitary confinement in federal prisons, jails and other detention settings with limited exceptions, including a 4-hour maximum for emergency de-escalation.

Stop the Torture: Ending Solitary Confinement – October 30th, 2:30 pm EDT. Join The Episcopal Church and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture for an online presentation and discussion on ending prolonged solitary confinement. You will hear from a survivor of torture in U.S. prisons and jails and what they are doing to stop this practice, and you will learn how faith allies can engage in advocacy for the abolition of this practice. This multimedia presentation will leave you inspired to take action, with practical tools for advocacy in your community. Register here.
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