FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2022
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

Bipartisan Bill on Solitary Confinement Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

WASHINGTON, DC - On Tuesday, June 14, Rep. David Trone (D-MD) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) introduced the Solitary Confinement Study and Reform Act (H.R. 8048), endorsed by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, to create a bipartisan commission to study the impacts of solitary confinement in the U.S. prison system at the federal, state, and local levels, to establish new national standards on solitary. It requires federal agencies that detain or incarcerate individuals to adopt these standards.

Notably, the membership of the commission must consist of at least the formerly incarcerated people or family members of incarcerated people and will make recommendations for new national standards regarding the use of solitary confinement to the Attorney General. The legislation also authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to states that follow the new national standards and support community programming including mental health and drug treatment.

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture supports an end the torture of isolated confinement and the harm to individuals, families and communities that comes from this inhumane practice.

Rev. Ron Stief, Executive Director of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, said, “This legislation is an important step toward replacing the torture of solitary confinement with social programming and rehabilitation, which in turn will increase safety in both prisons and communities.”

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, more than 300 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, and Sikh communities. Members include national denominations and faith groups, regional organizations and local congregations.
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