Sunday, Nov. 16 | 10:00 am | Parish Hall/Zoom (bit.ly/STJNmain) -
Please join us on Sunday, November 16, from 10:00 to 11:00 am for an Adult Forum on the campaign to end solitary confinement and the devastating harm it causes to the people who survive it, as well as their families and communities to which they will return.
The Unlock the Box Campaign (UTB) is a national advocacy initiative working to end solitary confinement in US prisons, jails, youth facilities, and immigration detention centers. Despite the fact that solitary causes immense suffering, prisons, jails, and detention centers across the United States continue to daily lock over 122,000 people in solitary, including over 11,000 people in federal prisons alone. People are locked in solitary for days, weeks, months, years, or even decades. ICE has also locked people in solitary confinement over 14,000 times in the last five years, including many for months at a time—as much as a year. In Maryland, the latest government report shows that in 2024, Maryland had 13,910 “restrictive housing” (solitary confinement) placements last year — the highest single-year increase in restrictive housing in six years. Also in 2024, nearly 39% of the total individuals in MD prisons were placed in solitary at some point.
UTB supports 23 state campaigns through funding, strategy, and organizing. Its mission is to eliminate solitary confinement, a practice widely recognized as torture, by advancing legislation, litigation, public education, and grassroots organizing rooted in the leadership of directly impacted people. UTB aligns its efforts with international human rights standards, including the United Nations’ Nelson Mandela Rules, which prohibit prolonged solitary confinement and call for dignity, accountability, and humane treatment for all incarcerated people.
Join us to learn about solitary confinement, the national policy landscape, local legislation, and what you can do to end this practice. Panel guests include
- Chris Wilson, the author of The Master Plan, a memoir tracing his childhood, incarceration, time in solitary confinement, and journey to freedom. He argues that rehabilitation, not punishment, is the path to more hopeful futures.
- Jessica Sandoval, National Director of the Unlock the Box Campaign. She has led three decades of advocacy to change laws and policies on youth justice, incarceration, and solitary confinement, securing reforms in more than 30 states.
- Reverend Tara “T.C.” Morrow, an Ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church and founding member of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.
Please be aware this forum will include descriptions of solitary confinement and severe trauma. As such, it may not be suitable for all participants.
Please find more information at Unlock the Box.
Questions?
Complete this form to connect with parishioners Annelise Hafer and Christina Files.