“It is not good for a human being to be alone.”— Genesis 2:18
We applaud the New Jersey State Legislature for passing the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act that will dramatically restrict solitary confinement, and we call on New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy to sign this bill into law immediately. We are disappointed, however, that New York State legislators failed to do the same, but that instead, in a backroom deal Thursday night, prevented the #HaltSolitary act from even coming to a vote.
For the past several years, T’ruah rabbis and cantors in New Jersey and New York have been organizing to pass legislation in both states that will restrict the use of long-term solitary confinement, which meets the international definition of torture. T’ruah members have testified in Trenton, met with elected officials, and organized their own communities to call their representatives to pass this legislation. In this work, we partner with other activists, led by survivors of solitary confinement.
Solitary confinement of more than 15 days constitutes torture according to international law. This practice, disproportionately employed against vulnerable populations like those with mental illness, is imposed without any legal process. It is also associated with dramatically increased rates of suicide and attempted suicide.
The rabbis of the Talmud described the practice of solitary confinement as one of slow death. The U.S. experience demonstrates the truth of this ancient wisdom.
We congratulate the New Jersey Legislature for taking a major step to end this form of torture, and we call on Gov. Murphy to sign the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act into law immediately. T’ruah leaders in New York will continue working to ensure that New York State follows this example and passes the Halt Solitary Act in the next legislative session.
T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights mobilizes a network of more than 2,000 rabbis and cantors from all streams of Judaism that, together with the Jewish community, act on the Jewish imperative to respect and advance the human rights of all people. Grounded in Torah and our Jewish historical experience and guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we call upon Jews to assert Jewish values by raising our voices and taking concrete steps to protect and expand human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
To learn more or to speak with T’ruah Executive Director Rabbi Jill Jacobs, contact Julie Wiener at jwiener@truah.org or (212) 845-5201.
