Tools for Sending an Email to the members of the House Appropriations Committee on HB 1087 to limit solitary confinement.
Talking points:
- Is the amount requested for the Dept. of Corrections to handle the changes ($79 million for the first two years) reasonable, or way too high?
- For example, Partnership for the Public Good finds that in New York State, restrictions on solitary confinement can save over $100 million annually.
- Information about the costs of solitary confinement is available from Solitary Watch, accessed from the National Institute of Corrections
- We ask that the House Appropriations Committee assess the fiscal request carefully.
Information for background:
- Solitary confinement harms the mental health of people subjected to it and is especially injurious to those already mentally unstable and ill.
- Violence is often a symptom of isolation, not a cause.
- In 2021, the Dept. of Corrections ended the practice of solitary confinement for disciplinary purposes; that should be established in law.
- HB 1087 would prohibit involuntary solitary confinement except for medical isolation and when there is danger to the individual or to others.
- While we recognize that the form of these extensions may need to be further negotiated, we believe less use of solitary confinement will in the long run be best for all.
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Sample email – Personalize this as you wish. Copy the emails for the committee members from the list below and put them in the “to” field to send them your message.
I urge you, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, to support HB 1087 concerning solitary confinement and, especially, to take a hard look at the fiscal note. Does the amount requested need to be anywhere near that high? Since solitary confinement is itself very expensive, I would expect that keeping people out of it would save money, not add costs.
HB 1087 is of great importance to me because of my deep concern about the inhumanity of isolating prisoners for extended periods of time. Solitary confinement harms the mental health of people subjected to it and is especially injurious to the already mentally unstable and ill. Violence is often a symptom of isolation, not a cause. I believe its use must be minimized.
Thank you for your critical attention to the fiscal note that has been offered and vote to move this crucial bill on to the next stage of the legislative process.
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Emails for Members of the House Appropriations Committee
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