Dear Friends,

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) has collected 3,000 nationwide endorsements of our Statement Against Prolonged Solitary Confinement.  Help reach 2,011 more by the end of 2011 by signing this statement today! 

Prolonged solitary confinement desecrates a person’s inherent dignity and denies the essential human need for spiritual community.  Inmates in solitary experience paranoia, delusions, and other long-term mental effects. Experts estimate that at least 36,000 people in the U.S. criminal justice system are currently held in solitary confinement, a condition in which they are confined alone in a windowless cell for 23 hours per day and exercise alone for the remaining hour.

Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, stated in his recent report on solitary confinement to the U.N. General Assembly that, “Considering the severe mental pain or suffering solitary confinement may cause… it can amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

NRCAT is working to end prolonged solitary confinement and you can help by signing the statement and then spreading the word.  If we reach 500 signatures in your state, we will send the statement and the signatures to your governor, state legislators and department of corrections officials.  You can learn more about NRCAT’s state campaigns to end solitary confinement and access other resources at http://www.nrcat.org/prisons.

Thank you for lifting your voice for the voiceless.

Linda Gustitus, President
Rev. Richard Killmer, Executive Director

Questions? Please email campaign@nrcat.org
National Religious Campaign Against Torture: www.tortureisamoralissue.org