End Solitary NC Petition

Solitary confinement strips individuals of their humanity, subjecting them to prolonged isolation, sensory deprivation, and psychological torment. It is a grim reflection of the dehumanizing aspects of our criminal legal system, disproportionately impacting Black, Brown, and marginalized communities, including people with disabilities. Research demonstrates that long-term solitary confinement can be especially difficult for disabled individuals. Disability Rights North Carolina’s  End Solitary NC project is a campaign to end the use of long-term solitary confinement in NC prisons.

Sign our petition to call on Governor Cooper and Todd Ishee, Secretary of the NC Dept. of Adult Correction, to end long-term solitary confinement in North Carolina prisons. 

In solitary confinement, people are isolated in small, windowless cells for up to 23 hours daily. This may continue with minimal human contact for months and sometimes years. It can destroy a person’s mental health, leading to anxiety, depression, hallucinations, and even self-harm. Such treatment is counterproductive because it fails to rehabilitate incarcerated people and prepare them to rejoin society successfully.

People of color are over-represented in solitary confinement. While they are about 30% of NC’s population, they are over 60% of those in solitary confinement. The Governor’s own Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice has recommended we adopt the Mandela Rules, which limit solitary confinement to 15 days or less. Other states have reduced the use of solitary confinement; we should, too!

Governor Cooper, prolonged solitary confinement is torture. Adopt your task force’s recommendations, end long-term solitary now!