Solitary Confinement – our testimony

January 23, 2023

Members of the Senate Human Services Committee,

My name is Tom Ewell and I live in Clinton, WA. I am submitting this written testimony in support of SB 5135 regarding solitary confinement on behalf of Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy, an organization that reflects the values of the Religious Society of Friends.

Over the years Friends have consistently testified concerning our deep concern about the inhumanity of isolating prisoners in solitary confinement, especially for extended periods of time. No matter the reason for someone being held in solitary confinement, we are reminded always of the imperative to respect their unique and sacred capacity as a human being, what the Quakers call “that of God in each of us.”

Extensive research now exists documenting the negative impact of extended human isolation through psychiatric studies and personal experiences. We are thus clear that solitary confinement harms the mental health of all people subjected to it, and it is especially injurious to the already mentally unstable and ill. Although we acknowledge there may be circumstances where an individual may choose to be isolated, or may need to be isolated for their personal or community safety, we firmly hold that it must be used only sparingly, as a last resort, and with well-established limitations and accountability with special attention to the mental health of the impacted person.

We support this bill on the basis that it is only a preliminary step in providing mental health support for not only those subjected to solitary confinement but also the staff who must administer it. Unaccountable and extended use of solitary confinement is essentially a violation of the human dignity of all concerned, so much so that it is widely considered a form of torture and is harmful to all those impacted. The ultimate goal of legislation related to the use of solitary confinement, therefore, needs to make it limited, humane, and with mental health support for all those impacted while also providing for the safety of the individual and the wider community. There is still much more we can do legislatively to protect the misuse and overuse of solitary confinement, and we look to the Washington legislature for its crucial leadership in reforming the use of solitary confinement in our state.

We believe this bill establishes a positive step to accomplishing reform of current solitary confinement practices, and we offer our support for SB 5135.

Respectfully submitted,

Tom Ewell on behalf of Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy

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January 10, 2023

Chairman Goodman and Representatives of the House Community Safety, Justice, and Reentry Committee,

My name is Tom Ewell and I live in Clinton, WA. I am submitting this written testimony in support of HB 1087 regarding solitary confinement on behalf of Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy, an organization that reflects the values of the Religious Society of Friends.

Over the years Friends have consistently testified concerning our deep concern about the inhumanity of isolating prisoners for extended periods of time. No matter the reason for someone being held in solitary confinement, we are reminded always of their unique and sacred capacity as a human being, what the Quakers call “that of God in each of us.”

Extensive research now exists documenting the negative impact of extended human isolation through psychiatric studies and personal experiences. We are thus clear that solitary confinement harms the mental health of all people subjected to it, and it is especially injurious to the already mentally unstable and ill. Although we acknowledge there may be circumstances where an individual may choose to be isolated, or they need to be isolated for their personal or community safety, we firmly hold that it must be used only sparingly and with well-established limitations and accountability and attention to the mental health of persons in prison. We believe this bill establishes a positive step to accomplishing those goals and offer our support for HB 1087.

We also support this bill on the basis that it is only a preliminary step in providing mental health support for not only those subjected to it but also the staff who must administer it. Unaccountable and extended use of solitary confinement is essentially a violation of the human dignity of those isolated, so much so that it is widely considered a form of torture and is harmful to all those impacted. The ultimate goal of legislation related to the use of solitary confinement, therefore, needs to make it as limited, humane, and supportive of the mental health of persons in prison as possible while also providing for the safety of the individual and the wider community. There is much more we can do legislatively, and we look to the Washington legislature for its crucial leadership in reforming the use of solitary confinement in our state.

Respectfully submitted,
Tom Ewell on behalf of Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy