The torture in Conn. prisons

Solitary confinement. Restrictive housing. Administrative segregation. Whatever it is called, prolonged isolation in Connecticut prisons and jails is torture. It creates or exacerbates mental illness, damages physical health, and does nothing to reduce violence or recidivism. Furthermore, use of extreme isolation is not restricted to those on disciplinary statuses. Across the state, there are many people in general population housed in their cells for 20-23 hours a day, as reported by numerous incarcerated people and their families and captured in written testimony to the Connecticut General Assembly. The current isolation policies of the Connecticut Department of Corrections (DOC) are so extreme and damaging that they were specifically cited as an example of state-sanctioned torture by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture.

Last summer, Gov. Ned Lamont took an important first step in ending these heinous practices by issuing Executive Order 21-1. This order requires a minimum of four hours out of cell per day and limits use of solitary confinement to no more than 15 consecutive days or 30 days total within any 60-day period. However, an executive order can be repealed any time by Governor Lamont or a successor. Therefore, the provisions of the Executive Order 21-1 need to be codified into law to protect the rights of incarcerated people for the long term.

S.B. 459, also known as the PROTECT Act, would enter the executive order’s isolation provisions into law and increase the amount of mandated out-of-cell time to five hours per day by April 1, 2023. In addition to mitigating extreme isolation, the PROTECT Act would establish much needed oversight, accountability, and transparency within the DOC. Currently, critical information about use of solitary confinement, use of force, access to pro-social programming, prison labor and wages, and more is underreported or not reported altogether. The PROTECT Act will require the DOC to publish this data and establish a Corrections Ombuds and Corrections Advisory Committee. This will expose much of what is currently hidden within the DOC and hold the Department publicly accountable in the pursuit of dignity and justice for incarcerated people.

The issue of solitary confinement is important from both a mental health and a racial justice perspective. A study by the Connecticut Sentencing Commission shows that 28 percent of incarcerated people in Connecticut have a mental illness that requires treatment, while an additional 40 percent have a history of mental illness. Other reports estimate that the percentage of people dealing with mental health issues to be even higher. Of that population, many will find themselves subject to a form of solitary confinement. The deplorable conditions often lead to issues such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and homelessness, and these severe mental health issues can prove to be irreparable. It should also be noted that people in solitary confinement, like the general prison population itself, are disproportionately Black and Latino.

Upon release, the state sends formerly incarcerated people into a social services system that is chronically overworked and underfunded and asks these private organizations to repair the trauma and harm that the state itself caused. This completely undermines the mental health and well-being not only of those within the corrections system, but that of their families, friends, and communities. This does not have to be the case. Numerous states have limited use of solitary confinement in favor of rehabilitative programming and have seen lower rates of violence, self-harm, and recidivism as a result.

It is clear that permanent, long-lasting change is needed in order to repair the harm that the DOC’s practices cause every day. Passing S.B. 459 is an important step towards the goal of dignity, safety, and health for incarcerated people statewide. The bill will be called for a vote on the Senate floor very soon. Call your lawmakers today and ask them to support this crucial piece of legislation. For more information about S.B. 459 and how you can act, visit stopsolitaryct.org.