Solitary Watch
@solitarywatch
Shining light into the darkest corners of the U.S. punishment system. | Subscribe: | Support:
Millions saved from closing Connecticut's supermax prison is a testimony to how expensive incarceration is. When the closure of solitary confinement units is factored in, millions more are saved. Read here: tinyurl.com/35csfyc6
Breaking News: ICE's use of solitary confinement continues to worsen across the nation. Another man in New York correctional custody dies from isolation. Indiana residential school for struggling youth was accused of holding young girls in solitary. Read more: tinyurl.com/2s3vcjtr
Having been incarcerated for more than a decade, Whitaker has seen how #solitaryconfinement has worsen over time. In the following piece, he writes extensively about how isolation creates a cycle of harm for everyone, those with and without severe mental illnesses. Read here: tinyurl.com/2n92j26j
Everyone suffers under solitary confinement, but especially children. Being isolated for prolonged periods of time has extreme consequences on their developing brains. Read here: tinyurl.com/6u23kt96
Breaking News: As temperatures rise, so does Texas prisons' death tolls. Two years after the loss of their son, a pair of parents in Michigan continues to advocate for the end of solitary confinement. Read more: tinyurl.com/mxjhknjx
Due to limited access to legal texts, strict procedural rules, and little to no formal training, jailhouse lawyering is often an uphill battle. Ty Evans shares how retaliation from prison staff limited his ability to counsel men held in #solitaryconfinement. Read here: tinyurl.com/vaf4pw9c
On the 45th Anniversary of the Attica prison uprising, tens of thousands of incarcerated people across the country abruptly stopped working under a call to end prison slavery. Isolation is used as a retaliation tactic to actions like this. Read here: tinyurl.com/4m7ehn67
Breaking News: Man who tore out his eyes in an isolation cell seeks justice from federal appeals court. Man in ICE detention placed in solitary for protesting harsh conditions. Colorado jails continue to isolate those with mental illnesses despite legislation. More news here: tinyurl.com/bdd96chs
There's no telling how solitary confinement can change a person. As Daly recounts his time in long-term isolation, he tells the stories of men who lost themselves to self-mutilation, paranoia, and depression. Read more: tinyurl.com/4mnx4ysb
ATTN: We are accepting grant applications about stories that have yet to be told about all aspects of solitary confinement, with a national, state, local, or thematic focus, in all media. The next application deadline is July 31. More details here: tinyurl.com/4w453tdb
Breaking News: Solitary survivor Johnny Morales steps forward and shares how he's been adjusting to life following California's 2019 death penalty suspension. An ongoing federal lawsuit claims children were subjected to solitary confinement at Wyoming Boys’ School. tinyurl.com/3xn5sdd2
Incarcerated trans people are vulnerable to extreme levels of harm. Survivor Geri Erwin courageously opens up about the sexual violence she experienced -- one of the perpetrators was a staff member. Read here: tinyurl.com/ycx7t463
For incarcerated Black people, Juneteenth is a reminder of the freedom they are routinely denied of. Today, our Editor in Chief invites readers to learn about how the legacy of enslavement shows up in the prison system. Read here: tinyurl.com/4f6p2unu
At a Delaware supermax prison, the men held #solitaryconfinement were exposed to toxic fumes. Chest pains, headaches, and vomiting were just some of the resulting symptoms. Read here: tinyurl.com/46cjuf67
As ICE detention camps continue to expand, Solitary Watch has updated our fact sheet on immigrant detention. The new version reflects critical developments that took place in 2025 and early 2026. Read here: tinyurl.com/jtn2pmy9
Breaking News: Lawsuit pending against the largest ICE detention center. Experts and public health officials are alarmed as another death in ICE custody is labelled as suicide. Disabled ninth grader held in isolation by Texas school officials. Read more: tinyurl.com/4n387r4y
Co-published by @TheNation, this article delves into the story of Angel Lemus-Linares, an El Salvadorian migrant and #solitaryconfinement survivor. With each passing day, thousands of detained individuals like Lemus-Linares are experiencing immense human rights violations. tinyurl.com/mvzxf5uj
In 2015, Casha Russell wrote about the medical side of #solitaryconfinement. Or rather, how the lack of care and treatment for those in isolation serves as double punishment. Read more here: tinyurl.com/y5yfzxmp
Due to a high chance of being assaulted by staff and other incarcerated people, transgender and gender nonconforming individuals are placed in isolation for their "protection." But nothing protects them from the mental trauma of #solitaryconfinement. Learn more: tinyurl.com/ycxhdy9a
In 2013, a man held at Menard Correctional Center's #solitaryconfinement unit reported that 90% of these tiny cells are double-manned. This is one of many violations of the men's Eighth Amendment rights. These cruel and unusual practices persist today. Read here: tinyurl.com/3dk5ewd3
For #MothersDay, Kwaneta Harris shares the story of Jennifer and her late daughter, Brooklyn, and the multiple ways the criminal legal system failed them. As a mother and solitary survivor, Harris highlights the harms caused by isolation. Read here: tinyurl.com/5dwn4frh
Check out our 2026 Ridgeway Reporting Project recipients! We're assisting these 7 incarcerated individuals in conducting research and getting published. Thank you to the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation and the Vital Projects Fund. Learn more here: tinyurl.com/b3hn67zv
#Solitaryconfinement is a "fertile ground for the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and of girls as young as 16." This issue is extremely overlooked. In the following piece, journalist Kwaneta Harris takes a step towards addressing it. #SAAM2026 Read here: tinyurl.com/mrx6th8w
Supported by the Ridgeway Reporting Project, award-winning incarcerated journalist Antoine E. Davis covered the day-to-day lives of incarcerated workers. In particular, the distressing process of cleaning solitary confinement cells. Read here: tinyurl.com/ahvmjj4f
Over 39,000 youth were held in juvenile detention centers in 2023 alone. Not only were these children separated from their communities, but they were also exposed to the dangers of solitary confinement during critical periods of development. Read here: tinyurl.com/3y5k9crk
In our latest Voices piece, decorated U.S. Army veteran John C. Buckley IV gives a glimpse into his seven years of #solitaryconfinement. "I have survived and overcome things that would break most people," he says, "However, I struggled mightily while in the hole." Read more: tinyurl.com/397p82s6
Survivors of solitary confinement report higher levels of mental health disorders post-release than other inmates. As a result, they face significant challenges reintegrating into society, making recidivism likely without adequate resources. Read more here: tinyurl.com/5ak5kxjc
Breaking News: School places five-year-old with autism in isolation. Family of deceased man from Mississippi contests ICE report that labels his death a suicide. New research exposes the health burdens of solitary confinement for older incarcerated adults. More news here: tinyurl.com/ujdm72cj
Activist Susan Rosenberg was one of the first people to be imprisoned at the High Security Unit, the first federal control unit designed for women. That was in 1986. The censorship and repression she describes persist in the #solitaryconfinement units of today. Read here: tinyurl.com/38zuychy