Solitary confinement is considered to be torture and has been proven to have a horrible impact on psychological health. So, why are the mentally ill being subjected to it in New York?
Amir Hall went to prison after robbing $87 from a store and violating parole. He was given 16 months to four years, but never made it out because he killed himself while in solitary confinement.
Suicides are common in solitary confinement, and Hall had tried to kill himself before being put in prison. But because he wasn't considered to have a "serious" mental illness he was still allowed to be put through this cruel treatment.
Please tell New York not to put the mentally ill in solitary confinement and to change these policies as soon as possible.
Dear New York Government,
Solitary confinement is considered to be torture and it hurts mental health. Yet, many mentally ill people are ending up in solitary confinement in New York. Suicides have become common there, and some people have even tried to kill themselves before being put in solitary confinement.
One of those people is Amir Hall, who was put into prison for robbing less than $100 and violating parole. He was supposed to be there for 16 months to four years but never made it out of jail because he took his own life. He tried to suffocate himself before putting into prison, but wasn't considered to have a "serious" mental illness so he was eligible for solitary confinement.
5 out of 6 people are put into solitary confinement for nonviolent reasons and many are for minor violations like having a messy cell.
Please do not put the mentally ill into solitary confinement and completely redo these policies so that no one is treated unfairly.
Thank you for your time.
