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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 4, 2017 09:29 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Prohibiting Solitary Confinement for Vulnerable Populations |
| In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to prohibit the use of solitary confinement on pregnant women, LGBTQ individuals, inmates age 21 and younger, and inmates age 70 and older in Pennsylvania. The unethical and inhumane practice of placing our most vulnerable populations in isolation for days, weeks, or even months on end can have devastating effects on themselves and their families. Solitary confinement is a form of torture, not a rehabilitative tool. For our most vulnerable populations, entering a correctional facility can be devastating enough. To deprive them of normal human interaction, access to reading materials, and meaningful educational programming not only limits their ability to become productive members of society, it often leads to severe psychological disorders. Suicide is strongly associated with solitary confinement. For instance, in New York, California and Texas, it has been found that suicide rates are significantly higher among people held in isolation than in general population. In addition, research shows that the conditions of total isolation in solitary confinement units cause a variety of negative physiological and psychological reactions, such as:
There is no remedial benefit to placing someone in extended isolation. It is time we take a hard look at how we treat prisoners while they are incarcerated. Instead of leaving these facilities with higher levels of anxiety and other negative emotions, we need to ensure that they have the social and occupational skills necessary to succeed in the outside world. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB1581