Humans Out of Solitary - National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Humans Out of Solitary is a collection of short interviews with survivors of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons that highlight various themes around the interviewees' experiences both inside prison and on the outside. The conversations also give the viewer insight into the most important criminal justice policy challenges of our time, and the solutions to effectively address them. Tune in as NRCAT spotlights from the collection of 30 interviews. We invite you to watch and share stories of unwavering perseverance, hope for a better future, and our need to come together to make the changes we wish to see in society.

Criminal justice and women’s rights advocate Donna Hylton was incarcerated for nearly three decades and now she is turning her pain into purpose. Today, she is on a mission to support women and girls by advancing policy reform across the U.S. She authored A Little Piece of Light, a memoir covering her journey through incarceration, harm, and now the leader she has become. Here she shares solutions to current systemic challenges.

Get Involved

The NRCAT National Network of Solitary Survivors is a landing point and community for survivors of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails that is providing peer support and collegiality to people who have faced isolated confinement first-hand. Learn more and sign-up.
Add your name to NRCAT's new National Pledge: A Moral Call to End the Torture of Solitary Confinement.
Host a screening of NRCAT’s new documentary Torture in Our Name that features movement leaders with first-hand experience of solitary confinement and faith leaders from three state campaigns to end solitary – the Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition, the New York Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement/#HALTSolitary Campaign, and New Jersey Prison Justice Watch. Watch the film and learn more about hosting a screen.

Eddie Ellis, a native Washingtonian, faced significant adversity when he was arrested and convicted of manslaughter at just 16. Enduring a challenging 15-year prison term, he survived 10 years in solitary confinement, with six of those in the harsh environment of ADX supermax prison. Today, Eddie stands as a testament to resilience and change. He serves as the Co-Director of Outreach & Member Services at The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, aiding former life-sentenced children through the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN). Additionally, he shares his journey, from a teenager dreaming of NBA success to overcoming his past, in his recently published memoir, "Change is Possible." Above all, Eddie cherishes his role as a devoted husband and father.

Nafeesah Goldsmith is the Senior Criminal Legal Fellow at Salvation and Social Justice and Co-Chair for New Jersey Prison Justice Watch (NJPJW). While serving a 15-year prison sentence at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, she began her college career through the Clinton College Bound/NJ-STEP. Today, Nafeesah dedicates her time to travel and speaking engagements on various topics including incarceration, re-entry, the school to prison pipeline, and the effects of incarceration on families and communities.

Steven Mangual is Justice Advocate Coordinator with Latino Justice PRLDEF, Southeast Office. Latino Justice PRLDEF is a unique Latinx-led national civil rights organization and legal defense fund with an almost 50-year history. While incarcerated, he joined the leadership of prison organizations including the Non-Traditional Approach to Criminal & Social Justice’s “Conciencia Study Group.” Steven volunteered for almost fourteen years as the Latino Affairs Producer/Co-host for “On The Count: The Prison and Criminal Justice Report,” a 60-minute talk, news, and interview program featuring criminal and social justice subjects on radio station WBAI 99.5 FM.

Natasha White is a formerly incarcerated survivor of solitary confinement. A New York native, she is a previous leader in the Close Rikers and #HALT-Solitary Confinement campaigns. She recently located to Virginia to continue the fight for justice as the coordinator of the Virginia Coalition on Solitary Confinement and the Director of Community Engagement at Interfaith Action for Human Rights.