July 19, 2022
Cited article by Chris Holden, Special to the Sacramento Bee
HRRC calls for California to adopt the newly proposed Assembly Bill 2632 which addresses the concerns about the inhumane treatment of prison inmates. Solitary confinement causes significant psychological harm and is counterproductive to the rehabilitative process for which prisons should strive to uphold.
Article Summary
Methods of solitary confinement in California prisons stand as a failure for humane treatment and rehabilitation of inmates. In California State Prison, Sacramento (also called New Folsom), treatment of prisoners in solitary confinement presents inhumane conditions. Prisoners may face upwards of 23 hours in cells that are dark and dehumanizing with a single hour of "recreation" in a 10-by-10 foot chain-linked fenced area.
In 2015, California held nearly 1,600 people in solitary confinement over 10 years. Due to hunger strikes and lawsuits, this number has dropped, however it remains an issue in California prisons. The state additionally has no limit on how long people can be confined to solitary. A newly proposed bill, Assembly Bill 2632, places a 15-day limit on solitary confinement. Additionally, the bill would also end the use of solitary confinement for specific populations, including pregnant women and those with intellectual disabilities.