PETITION FOR LA PEOPLE OF FAITH TO OPPOSE SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

As people of faith, we believe that every human being is a child of God, made in God’s image and likeness. Solitary confinement violates the dignity and sanctity of human life by isolating prisoners in closed cells from 22-44 hours a day, virtually free of human contact for days, weeks, months, and even decades. Medical experts note that such extreme isolation can have traumatic effects on the brain, including memory loss, hallucinations, paranoia, and depression, and lead to irreversible psychological damage.

The United Nations has stated that solitary confinement in excess of 15 days often rises to the level of torture, yet recent reports found that 77 percent of persons held in solitary confinement in Louisiana had been there for more than a year and that our state uses solitary confinement at nearly four times the national rate.

Our faith compels us to call upon Governor John Bel Edwards, Department of Health Secretary Dr. Courtney Phillips, Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc, and the Louisiana Sheriffs Association to embrace the moral imperative to end solitary confinement.

When we have reached 1000 signatures, the Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition will deliver this petition and ask these four leaders to do everything in their power to stop solitary in our state.