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"These compelling re¿ections by people who have been entrapped within the tortures of solitary, should rekindle our abolitionist impulses at an especially critical moment in our history" Angela Y. Davis
"O¿ers an indispensable tool to campaigns for abolition everywhere" Juan E. Méndez, former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
"Powerful ... These excruciating accounts from prisoners across the country shocked even me as I read them from the madhouse of Sing Sing" John J. Lennon, contributing editor at
Esquire and author of
The Tragedy of True Crime The injustice and cruelty of the US carceral system ¿nd their barbaric apogee in the practice of solitary con¿nement. Once deemed a form of torture by the US Supreme Court, "the hole" is still wrongly used as a solution to prison overcrowding and violence. But locking someone in a cell the size of a parking space for months or years causes profound psychological harm. For Christopher Blackwell, it was a harrowing ordeal that changed his life forever.
Ending Isolation weaves Chris's vivid account with other stories from solitary, alongside insights from legal and medical experts. Through these narratives and undeniable research, the book makes a powerful case for abolishing this cruel and unusual punishment.
Christopher Blackwell is an award-winning journalist currently incarcerated in Washington State.
Deborah Zalesne is a law professor at CUNY School of Law.
Kwaneta Harris is a journalist who survived eight years in solitary in Texas.
Terry Kupers is a leading medical expert on the harms of solitary con¿nement.
List of contents
1. Introduction
2. Life in the Hole
3. History of Solitary Confinement
4. Who Gets Sent to Solitary
5. Cruel and Unusual Punishment: Stories of Torture
6. The Harms of Solitary
7. Juveniles in Solitary
8. Race Disparities
9. Mental Illness
10. Environmental Justice Issues
11. Sexual Assault
12. Recidivism
13. The Current State of the Law
14. Evolving Standards of Decency: The Case Against Solitary
15. Reform and Advocacy in the U.S. and Abroad
About the author
Christopher Blackwell is an award-winning journalist currently incarcerated in Washington State, serving a 45-year prison sentence for taking a human life. He is the co-founder, with Dr. Chelsea Moore, and current Executive Director of Look2Justice, a grassroots organization that transforms the legal system by empowering impacted people through civic education. His writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many more. He was awarded the 2024 Incarcerated Journalist of the Year award by Prison Journalism Project through their Stillwater Awards. You can find more about Christopher's writing and policy work at christopher-blackwell.com.
Deborah Zalesne is a Professor of Law at the City University of New York School of Law where she teaches Contract Law from a social justice perspective. With Christopher Blackwell, she co-founded Empowerment Avenue's Writers Development Program for aspiring incarcerated writers. She has published extensively in the areas of race and gender justice and is the author of two books and over forty scholarly articles for publications such as the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism and the Columbia Journal of Race and the Law.
