NYCLU to Host Meeting on Solitary Confinement in New York State
Tomorrow, the New York Civil Liberties Union will host a meeting of advocates on the issue of solitary confinement in New York State prisons. According to a report by the Correctional Association, New York State has the highest rate of disciplinary segregation in the country, and one of the highest rates of isolated segregation in general. More recent data suggests that these rates may still be growing–despite efforts to exclude inmates with mental illness from the Special Housing Units, and even as the prison population in New York falls.
All are welcome to attend, but advance notice is necessary. Details from the NYCLU’s announcement appear below.
Prolonged Isolation in New York Special Housing Units (SHUs)
The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is a non-profit legal organization that seeks to defend and expand the civil rights and civil liberties of all New Yorkers, including individuals incarcerated in New York’s prisons.
The NYCLU recently launched a project to investigate the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s (DOCCS) use of Special Housing Units (SHUs). As part of this project, the NYCLU has begun organizing a broad-based coalition, including prisoners’ rights and mental health advocates, family members of the incarcerated, and formerly incarcerated individuals, to coordinate efforts to raise awareness about and advocate for an end to the NY SHUs.
The NYCLU will be holding its next coalition meeting on January 19th at 6 PM. We welcome participation by all those whose lives have been affected by the NY SHUs.
If you would like to attend this meeting or learn more about the coalition, please contact:
Scarlet Kim
125 Broad Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10004
skim@nyclu.org
(212) 607-3343
COMMENTS POLICY
Solitary Watch encourages comments and welcomes a range of ideas, opinions, debates, and respectful disagreement. We do not allow name-calling, bullying, cursing, or personal attacks of any kind. Any embedded links should be to information relevant to the conversation. Comments that violate these guidelines will be removed, and repeat offenders will be blocked. Thank you for your cooperation.