Illustrative purposes only
More than 25,000 people are confined in solitary confinement in the United States. An additional 50,000 – 80,000 are kept in restrictive segregation units, many of them in isolation.
Prison officials say people are placed in isolation because they are the most violent, dangerous prisoners and that this practice protects other vulnerable populations. Opponents of solitary confinement assert that these policies are a form of cruel and unusual punishment and torture. People subjected to these conditions lack human contact, which can have a severe negative impact on a person’s mental state, leading to serious mental illnesses, such as depression and in some instances—death.
New York University’s Wagner’s Students for Criminal Justice Reform will be hosting a panel discussion titled “Segregation and Solitary Confinement: Cruel and Unusual Punishment?” on Tuesday, March 23.
The following distinguished panelists will participate in the event:
- Martin F. Horn, Distinguished Lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Former Commissioner, NYC Department of Correction and Probation
- Michael B. Mushlin, Professor, Pace Law School
- Jack Beck, Director, Prison Visiting Project, Correctional Association
- Glenn Martin, Vice President of Development and Public Affairs and Director of the David Rothenberg Center for Public Policy, Fortune Society
WHEN: Tuesday, March 23rd 6:30-8:30
WHERE: NYU School of Law, Vananderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 216
