Forced isolation from each other is one of the worst tortures we can endure, because humans evolved to understand that safety and survival comes through connection and attachment. It's why prisons use solitary confinement as one of the most severe, and dreaded, punishments they inflict.In the U.S. though, solitary confinement is now becoming a brutal torture in yet another way. As
heat waves rip across the country, scorching entire geographical regions at a time,
human beings are boiling alive in solitary cells without air conditioning, fans, or the wind from outside air.
Sign the petition to demand an end to the use of solitary confinement, and commit to humane treatment of all individuals!For one man, he was locked into solitary confinement for approximately half of the summer in the scorching southern state of Missouri. An officer at one point told him that in the area outside his tiny, parking-spot-sized chamber, it was
107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 Celsius). Inside his cramped cell, with zero cool air or fans? He had no idea. There wasn't even an emergency button for him to push in case the temperature sent him into heat shock.
And in fact, many people imprisoned in situations like this
have experienced heat strokes. In sworn statements, some individuals
recounted how when "medical emergencies like heat stroke occurred,
we had to kick on the doors and scream for help. Often, it took over an hour for anyone to come. Sometimes, no one came to help." Sometimes, they'd even get outright punished for making noise. In one man's case, guards refused to allow him to leave his cell.
His isn't the only case like this. In fact, civil rights attorneys at the MacArthur Justice Center have recently filed a class action lawsuit, arguing that these dangerous conditions with "brutally hot" temperatures are a form of cruel and unusual punishment for inmates.
Extreme heat is also impacting
migrants who are being
disappeared and trapped within ICE's endless, sprawling detention centers. In both cases, these cruelties
disproportionately affect people of color and working-class or low-income people.No person deserves to be scorched alive and tortured in this way. U.S. states must commit to treating all people with dignity and respect, end the use of solitary confinement, and prevent heat-related medical emergencies in prisons! Sign the petition! 