The following is a statement released by President Obama: “Six years ago, a 16-year-old named Kalief Browder from the Bronx was accused of stealing a backpack. He was sent to Rikers Island to await trial, where he reportedly endured unspeakable violence at the hands of inmates and guards – and spent nearly two years in solitary confinement. In 2013, Kalief was released, having never stood trial. One Saturday, he committed suicide.
Too often, solitary confinement is overused on people like Kalief. As many as 100,000 people in America are being held in solitary confinement – including juveniles and people with mental illnesses. Research shows it can potentially lead to devastating psychological consequences. The overuse of this tactic doesn’t make us safer – it’s an affront to our common humanity.
I asked the Department of Justice to review the overuse of solitary confinement, and as I announced today, I’m adopting their recommendations to reform the federal prison system, including a ban on solitary confinement for low-level offenses and for juveniles, expanding treatment for the mentally ill, and increasing the amount of time inmates in solitary can spend outside of their cells.”
