Survivors in Action

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. It is a network dedicated to being a safe place for individuals and family members to share challenges and hopes. Members of the National Network are advancing efforts to educate the public on the collateral consequences of incarceration on families and in doing so, working to shift our communities away from a punishment paradigm and toward one of restoration and healing. Survivors are supported in leveraging the wisdom of their past experiences to catalyze change, empower their own communities and families, and establish a sense of stability, hope for the future, and purpose post their incarceration. >> Learn more about the Network

Check out how members of the Network are engaged in their communities and across the country.

Leading Advocacy Campaigns

NRCAT national Board member Dolores Canales, a solitary survivor and co-founder of California Families Against Solitary Confinement, brought over 30 solitary survivors to a September 2023 rally in front of the state capitol building in Sacramento. The advocates shared their stories with state legislators in support of legislation to end solitary in state prisons, jails, and immigrant detention centers.

Advancing Higher Education

Solitary survivors Felix Colon and Joseph De La Luz share their personal insights on surviving solitary while discussing the importance of access to higher education for people who are post-incarceration. NRCAT has partnered with Saint Francis College in Brooklyn for this ongoing program, which includes bringing a 6x9 mock solitary confinement cell simulation and panel discussions with students, administrators, and faculty.

NRCAT’s Network Members Support Commemoration of the 18 Lives Lost on Rikers Island

Network members Celestial Allah and Melvin Williams joined in the "18 Hours for 18 Lives Lost" rally and vigil on Nov. 3, 2022 in NYC’s City Hall Park. The day of action focused on a call for officials to release people, stop sending people to these deadly jails, and protect the human rights of all New Yorkers. Throughout 18 hours of continuous action, attendees remembered the lives lost at the Rikers Island jail complex and "The Boat," a jail barge anchored off Bronx's southern tip, with heartfelt ceremonies, impactful speak-outs, and art performances. The gathering brought together families, individuals affected by Rikers Island, faith leaders, and concerned community members, sending a powerful message for change and justice.

Collaboration with Google to Shed Light on Childhood Incarceration

Laura Berry, a member of the NRCAT U.S. Prisons Program Advisory Council, and Johnny Perez, the Director of NRCAT’s U.S. Prisons Program, are seen here at the Google launch for Project Witness. This project, a collaboration between the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY), YouTube, and Google, utilizes VR and Google Lens technologies to shed light on the experiences of childhood incarceration in the United States. Laura and Johnny are two of the six storytellers in the project who share their personal journeys about the  harsh conditions faced by incarcerated children.

Advancing an End to Solitary in the Push to End Mass Incarceration

In January 2023, the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and The Temple in Atlanta hosted the second annual conference of the Multifaith Initiative to End Mass Incarceration (EMI), Ending Mass Incarceration: Let My People Go. There, NRCAT network member Donna Hylton led a compelling discussion about her leadership in the campaign to permanently close the Rikers Island Jail complex in NY. NRCAT serves as a founding board member of EMI. NRCAT's Director of U.S. Prisons Program, Johnny Perez, addressed the conference, highlighted the national movement to bring an end to solitary confinement.

For a deeper understanding of the impactful work being done and to witness the resilience of the human spirit, we invite you to view Rev. Dr. Hylton's "Humans Out of Solitary" video HERE. It is a testament to the unwavering commitment to making lasting change in the criminal justice system.

Leading from Experience

Meet Robert Holbrook, a NRCAT Advisory Council member and one of our Network members, who serves as the Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center. In this powerful video, he shares his journey from incarceration to advocacy, shedding light on exploitative labor practices in prisons and the crucial need to end the exception in the 13th Amendment. Mr. Holbrook is an inspiration in the fight for justice and dignity for all.