NRCAT Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2025
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

Faith Groups Welcome Re-Introduction of End Solitary Confinement Act in U.S. Congress

Washington, DC - Senator Ed Markey and Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove today announced re-introduction of the End Solitary Confinement Act, legislation that would end solitary confinement in all federal custody and incentivize states and localities to do the same. The bill text is available here and a summary is available here.

“I spent over three years in solitary confinement, locked in a concrete cell the size of a parking space, 23 hours a day, with no human contact and no clear way out. I lost pieces of myself in that darkness, my sense of time, my trust in others, even the sound of my own voice. What I went through was not rehabilitation; it was sanctioned torture. I survived, but I carry the scars every day, and thousands of others are still buried alive in silence,” said Johnny Perez, Director of the U.S. Prisons Program at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. He added, “Solitary confinement violates our public safety, our public health responsibilities, and our deepest moral values. It makes people sicker, not safer, and then sends them home broken. But even in that isolation, I held onto my faith. I believed that if I made it out, I would fight to make sure no one else had to endure what I did. The End Solitary Confinement Act is a chance to turn that pain into purpose, to stop the torture, to honor the dignity of every person behind bars, and to prove that justice in the U.S. can still mean humanity, healing, and hope.”

More than 180 organizations nationwide have already endorsed the End Solitary Confinement Act, including more than 30 faith organizations. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture and fellow members of the Federal Anti-Solitary Taskforce (FAST), lauded the Act’s re-introduction and are urging Congress to take action. National faith groups and organizations joined solitary survivors and family members, human rights and racial justice advocates, lawyers, and members of the medical field in calling for support for the bill.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2025
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

People of Faith Denounce Suspension of HALT Solitary Confinement Law Measures in New York

NEW YORK - Yesterday the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III issued a memorandum outlining an indefinite suspension of unspecified provisions of the HALT Solitary Confinement law, as the state attempted to respond to a corrections officers strike that has left incarcerated people with limited or no access to food, medicine, medical care, programs, or visits.

Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, said:

“We call on the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to immediately rescind the suspension of restrictions on the use of solitary confinement. Isolating people in conditions of torture as a “solution” to the current strike by corrections officers is both poor management and immoral. The HALT Solitary Confinement Act was signed into law in 2021, following supermajority support of the legislation in both the Senate and Assembly. Gov. Kathy Hochul praised the legislation when it was signed into law.

Faith communities have devoted more than a decade of our energies and resources to supporting the passage and implementation of the ‘HALT law’ because long-term solitary confinement and the denial of meaningful human contact is immoral. It violates the most basic tenets of our religious values of community and restorative justice. In isolated conditions, changes in brain chemistry have been noted within one week. Solitary beyond 15 days is considered a form of torture by the United Nations and yet, on any given day approximately 2,000 incarcerated individuals in NY alone were facing such conditions for months, years even decades before this law took effect. Now, that number has been down to the hundreds, although many others continue to illegally be subjected to solitary by another name. Though the HALT law has not been fully implemented statewide, history will show that when it is fully implemented, the net result will be a safer working facility for staff, a safer facility for incarcerated people, and safer communities to which incarcerated people will one day return.

The torture of long-term solitary confinement demeans all involved, including society at large. Suspending the HALT Act does nothing to make our prisons or our communities safer.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2025
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

NRCAT Denounces Expansion of Immigration Detention at Guantánamo

WASHINGTON, DC - In response to the January 29th memorandum from President Trump on “Expanding Migrant Operations Center at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Full Capacity”, Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, released the following statement:

“We’re deeply troubled by President Trump's directive to expand the Migrant Operations Center at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay “to full capacity,” with mention of building a capacity for 30,000 immigrants. Guantánamo remains a symbol of torture the world over. The Trump Administration’s characterization of migrants in the U.S. as a threat so severe it warrants such measures comes from the same playbook we’ve seen used in the past to justify torture. Whether a scare tactic directed at current or future immigrants or an attempt to allow the indefinite detention of tens of thousands of people, this directive aims to carry out a form of large-scale cruelty rooted in racism and xenophobia that degrades the soul of this nation.

The Migrant Operations Center is separate from the ongoing post-9/11 military prison where 780 Muslim men were held, and 15 men remain to this day 23 years later. Nearly all of the 780 men were never charged with a crime, and the moral stain of “Guantánamo” lingers as the base has been historically used by the U.S. government in a crass attempt to avoid the rule of law.

The shared mission of our more than 300 religious member organizations is to end torture in U.S. policy, practice, and culture. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture will continue to work with our members and partners to ensure the U.S. upholds human rights and does not engage in torture, abuse, and indefinite detention.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 29, 2025
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

Statement Following Signing of the “Laken Riley Act"

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture joined the undersigned partners in the Federal Anti-Solitary Taskforce (FAST) in releasing this statement following the signing of the “Laken Riley Act.”

We strongly condemn the President and Congress for enacting the Laken Riley Act, as it significantly expands the inhumane practice of immigration detention and will further fuel devastating mass deportations. It mandates the detention of individuals--including children and teenagers--arrested for, charged with, or convicted of theft-related offenses. This unconstitutional requirement for mandatory detention will not only cause grave harm to countless people, but also further strain overcrowded and inhumane detention facilities. These policies will only expand the torturous and deadly use of solitary confinement.

This law forms a perfect storm in the midst of executive actions that call for caging and deporting as many people as possible in already overcrowded immigration detention centers, tent cities, military bases, and the notorious Guantánamo Bay detention center; commandeering state and local law enforcement to harass and detain people regardless of their legal status; suspending the refugee resettlement program; forcing incarcerated transgender individuals into facilities counter to their gender identity—and specifically in solitary confinement; and ordering confinement of individuals on death row in the cruelest possible conditions of solitary confinement.

Rather than promoting safety and accountability, the actions of this administration have been cruel and self-serving, and will perpetuate cycles of suffering and injustice that affect our country's most vulnerable populations, including by expanding the use of torture through solitary confinement and other abusive carceral practices, separating and devastating families and communities, and caging and deporting massive numbers of people.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22, 2025
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

Oppose S.5 / H.R. 29, the “Laken Riley Act"

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Religious Campaign Against Torture joined partners in the Federal Anti-Solitary Taskforce (FAST) in urging Members of Congress to oppose S.5 / H.R. 29, the “Laken Riley Act.” The following letter was sent in advance of a final vote in the House of Representatives. View a PDF of the letter here. 

The undersigned organizations, representing the Federal Anti-Solitary Taskforce (FAST), are writing to express our strong opposition to S.5 / H.R. 29, the “Laken Riley Act.” Among other concerns, the revised legislation only exacerbates our concerns and will greatly expand the inhumane practice of immigration detention by mandating the mandatory detention of people arrested for, charged with, or convicted of theft-related charges, including children and teens. We believe that this would have serious and far-reaching consequences, not only for the individuals affected but also for the integrity and sustainability of our immigration system.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2025
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

NRCAT Remembers Former President Jimmy Carter

WASHINGTON, DC – As the nation today marks the life and service of former President Jimmy Carter, National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) Executive Director Rev. Ron Stief issued the following statement:

“President Jimmy Carter exemplified servant leadership throughout his life of public service. Advancing human rights was a central pillar of his presidency, and this commitment continued as he worked to improve the lives of others both in the U.S. and globally. In 2006, President Carter joined prominent faith leaders in NRCAT’s New York Times ad calling on the U.S. to abolish torture, without exceptions.

“President Carter’s legacy of fighting for peace and justice for the most vulnerable in our world will inspire generations to come. We mourn the loss of this exemplary leader and as people of faith and conscience, we recommit to carry the torch of human rights in his honor as together we continue his work to strive for a torture-free world.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 31, 2024
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

NRCAT Responds to Plea Agreement for Three of the 9/11 Defendants at Guantánamo

In response to the announcement of plea agreements with three of the men in the military commissions at Guantánamo accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, the National Religious Campaign Against Torture released this statement:

Our prayers are with the family members of victims, including colleagues at September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, and we hope that this may ultimately bring a measure of closure these many years later.

Years into the quagmire of the military commissions process, plea deals are the only practical way forward after the U.S. tortured detainees. We are glad the military prosecutors have moved forward in negotiating plea deals with 3 of the 5 men at Guantanamo charged in the 9/11 case.

At the same time, we urge the Biden Administration to act with haste to transfer the 19 men being held at Guantánamo who are not charged with a crime.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 3, 2024
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and 202-547-1920

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Passes Resolution Condemning Prolonged Solitary Confinement as Torture, Urges All Presbyterians to Join Efforts to End its Use

SALT LAKE CITY, UT– On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, the 226th General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) adopted a “Resolution On Ending Solitary Confinement.” The resolution “urges all Presbyterians to call upon their city, state, and federal elected officials to enact legislative or administrative reforms ending prolonged solitary confinement in city, state and federal jails, prisons, and detention centers.”

“Recognizing the inherent dignity and immeasurable worth of every human being and the church’s foundational principles of grace, forgiveness, redemption, and restoration, this important action calls us to bold action to end torture,” said the Rev. Judy Slater of the Presbytery of the Redwoods, who spoke in favor of the resolution.

In addition, the Rev. Ellen L. Keyser of the John Knox Presbytery, which includes parts of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, said, “In my work as a hospital chaplain and as a minister I have seen first-hand the emotional and physical toll of solitary confinement on those who have experienced it. I have encountered those who were incarcerated who felt possible death or inflicting injury upon themselves was preferable to another moment of solitary. The practice is inhumane and a violation of human dignity. Those whom I have met who have experienced solitary are disproportionately suffering from mental illness - which was met with inhumane punishment rather than treatment.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 13, 2023
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202) 547-1920

California Mandela Act Passes California Senate, Faith Leaders Urge Gov Newsom’s Support to End the Torture of Solitary Confinement

SACRAMENTO, CA - Today the California Senate passed AB280, the California Mandela Act. Following similar legislation in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, the bill limits the use of solitary confinement in jails, prisons, and private, for-profit immigrant detention centers in California. The bill passed the Assembly by a super-majority earlier this year, and now returns to the Assembly following minor changes in the Senate.

As the legislature heads to adjournment later this week, the bill will carry over into the second year of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session. People of faith are joining solitary survivors and other advocates in calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to support this important bill.

Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, said, “Last year when the Governor vetoed this bill, he said that this issue was ‘ripe for reform.’ The California Assembly and Senate have done their part to end the torture of solitary confinement, now it's up to the Governor to exercise his moral leadership and prioritize compassion and safety over business as usual.”

In a letter to Governor Newsom on September 7th, 38 leading religious organizations and faith communities in California, including the California Catholic Conference, Glide Memorial Church, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, Friends Committee on Legislation of California, and national faith organizations with a significant presence in California including T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Justice Revival, and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, called on the governor to support the California Mandela Act. In the letter to Gov. Newsom, the religious organizations state:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 7, 2023
CONTACT: Rev. T.C. Morrow, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (202) 547-1920

Religious Organizations Urge Governor Newsom to Support the California Mandela Act to End the Torture of Solitary Confinement

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today 38 leading religious organizations and faith communities in California, including the California Catholic Conference, Glide Memorial Church, the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County, Friends Committee on Legislation of California, and national faith organizations with a significant presence in California including T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Justice Revival, and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, called on Governor Gavin Newsom to support the California Mandela Act on Solitary Confinement (AB280) as it is written, legislation which places comprehensive limits on the use of solitary confinement in prisons, jails, and immigrant detention facilities. In the letter to Gov. Newsom, the religious organizations state:

“We commend your efforts to reform California’s prisons and end policies of mass incarceration. We applaud your support for the reduction of California’s prison population, and the closure of certain facilities that are no longer necessary. We also applaud your efforts to reimagine San Quentin as a facility that is focused more on rehabilitation rather than punishment. However, we believe that none of these policies can stand on their own unless they provide an alternative to the unchecked use of solitary confinement.

Solitary confinement is broadly recognized as torture by the United Nations, leading medical and mental health experts, and governors of other states like New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey who have signed Mandela-like bills legislating a ban on prolonged isolation in the past four years. These governors, and their state legislative bodies, have found that limiting the use of solitary confinement in state prisons, jails, and detention centers does not compromise safety inside these facilities, and in fact can make them safer for both staff and incarcerated individuals.”

Read the full text of the letter below and in PDF.