#HALTsolitary

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My name is [your name], and I am a resident of [your location]. I am writing today to urge you to support the Humane Alternatives to Long-term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act (A.2500 / S.1623).

In 2015, the US government voted for, and the entire United Nations adopted, the Mandela Rules, which prohibit any person from being held in solitary beyond 15 days. It is unconscionable that New York fails to impose any limits on the total time a person must spend in solitary confinement, with some individuals currently spending months, years and even decades in isolation. Long-term solitary confinement can lead to severe psychological damage, and drastically increases the risk of suicide in prisons. At the same time, solitary confinement often fails to address the underlying causes of problematic behavior, and exacerbates that behavior as people deteriorate psychologically, physically, and socially.

I urge you to vote YES for the HALT Solitary Confinement Act (A.2500 / S.1623), which would impose strict limits on the use of solitary confinement, provide meaningful alternatives to effectively and humanely address behavioral issues, and require greater transparency around the use of solitary confinement. Long-term solitary confinement is torture, and we must end its use in New York prisons and jails now.

Thank you,

[your name]