John, torture is legal in America.

This is why the month of June is so critical. Many think that torture is a thing of the past, something relegated to TV shows and movies, and ancient lands. But the reality is that solitary confinement is torture and our most vulnerable—Black folks, Brown folks, the poor, and immigrants—are being tortured every day.

That’s why it’s our DUTY to bring this issue to the forefront of the public consciousness and incite action against all forms of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Today we invite you, John to join us as we debunk some common myths about solitary confinement.

We’re going to play a quick game of Myth or Fact to see just how much you know about solitary confinement and the state of torture today. The answer sheet will be attached to the bottom of this email so you can fact check yourself!

$Solitary confinement makes us safer. [Myth or Fact?] 85% of people in solitary are there for minor infractions such as having an extra piece of fruit or in retaliation for reporting abuse. [Myth or Fact?] About 5,000 people are in solitary confinement in America. [Myth or Fact?] The average size of a solitary cell is a studio apartment. [Myth or Fact?] Solitary disproportionately affects people of color. [Myth or Fact?] People who experience solitary are 78% more likely to die by suicide within a year of release than those who don’t experience solitary and 127% more likely to die by overdose. [Myth or Fact] The United Nations has stated that solitary confinement in America is not considered tortured, as it doesn’t meet the international standard they use to be considered torture. [Myth or Fact?]$

Hundreds of thousands of Black and Brown folks are suffering under conditions of torture right here. We know the use of solitary confinement is only getting more prevalent and more dangerous as the Trump administration uses ICE to disappear and hold people in detention centers and continues to chip away at our rights to pursue a regime of “law and order” and extreme punishment.

What we’ve always known to be true is clearer than ever: This system was never meant to protect us, it was meant to destroy us.

Abolition—dismantling these violence-first systems and all systems of oppression—is the only thing that will save us.

Police, the prison industrial complex, and solitary confinement don’t protect us or keep people safe—they harm us.

We demand a comprehensive reimagining of public safety. We must completely change how we think about true safety in this country. Our leaders cannot continue to depend and support systems born out of white supremacy.

We have to build a world beyond punishment. We must center healing, care, accountability, and joy. We have to empower our communities to take care of one another—only then can we truly be safe.

We will continue fighting until white supremacy and all of its vestiges are nothing more than a distant memory. And that means a world without solitary.

We hope you learned something new today about torture and solitary confinement. We hope you feel empowered to learn more from the Unlock the Box campaign as we fight to abolish solitary confinement and the entire prison industrial complex.

Onwards,

Black Lives Matter

P.S. Don’t forget we have a big surprise coming at the end of the month! Make sure to read through all of our weekly Torture Awareness Month sends so you don’t miss the mobilizations that are coming soon!

$Solitary confinement makes us safer. Myth. Contrary to justifications that solitary confinement is necessary for safety and security, extensive evidence proves it is counterproductive and makes correctional facilities and communities less safe. Within institutions, it can exacerbate tensions, increase staff burnout and stress, and lead to more, not less, violence as individuals suffer psychological decline and opportunities for state-abuse are rife. 9 out of 10 times people in solitary confinement will reenter society. Releasing individuals directly from extreme isolation back into society, without addressing the trauma inflicted and without providing tools for reintegration, significantly impedes their ability to successfully rejoin their communities and can be correlated with higher rates of recidivism. True safety is fostered through humane treatment, rehabilitation, and support, not through torture. 85% of people in solitary are there for minor infractions such as having an extra piece of fruit or in retaliation for reporting abuse. Fact. Solitary confinement, one of the most psychologically tormenting forms of torture is being used for minor infractions against our most vulnerable populations. People in solitary include people who have not been convicted of crimes, children, pregnant people, elderly, and people with serious mental illnesses. About 5,000 people are in solitary confinement in America. Myth. As of 2023, at least 122,000 people are in solitary in state and federal prisons alone. The total number of individuals subjected to solitary confinement is understood to have exploded since 2023, particularly within ICE detention, as a direct consequence of the new administration's immigration policies. The average size of a solitary cell is a studio square feet. Myth. The average size of a solitary cell is 70 square feet, only slightly larger than a king sized mattress and smaller than the average parking spot. Solitary disproportionately affects people of color. Fact. Just as the entire prison industrial complex is a system of white supremacy that disproportionately targets Black and Brown people, so does solitary confinement. People who experience solitary are 78% more likely to die by suicide within a year of release than those who don’t experience solitary and 127% more likely to die by overdose. Fact. Solitary confinement does not help with rehabilitation. It destroys the mental health of people subjected to it. Solitary doesn’t keep our communities safer, it breaks them. The United Nations has stated that solitary confinement in America is not considered torture, as it doesn’t meet the international standard they use to be considered torture. Myth. UN human rights experts, have unequivocally stated that prolonged solitary confinement—defined as isolation for more than 15 consecutive days—constitutes psychological torture and is prohibited under international law.$

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