[Action Alert Text]
Direct release from solitary confinement is a dangerous practice!
Direct release from solitary confinement (called “restrictive housing” by Maryland) in our prisons is a public safety concern. Without preparation, resocialization, or reentry services, incarcerated people in restrictive housing are less likely to return safely to our communities and more likely to reoffend. Thus, direct release from restrictive housing puts both communities and the individual inmate at risk.
An important vote this week by your state Senator in committee hearing on 3/30/22 could make a difference. The bill (HB 67), unfortunately, has been amended to delete valuable services for those leaving solitary. But, we still encourage passing HB 67 because it will require prisons to permit reentry counseling and case manager assistance to prisoners within their last 180 days before release.
Even before the 2020 onset of the pandemic, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DCSPS) acknowledged that it released nearly 300 people each year directly to the community from restrictive housing without any form of step-down transition to prepare them to return to the community. The conservative organization American Legislative Exchange Council as to direct-release reports that “unprepared prisoners are more likely to end up homeless, jobless, or back in jail.” Other studies also show such prisoners are substantially more likely to become victims of suicide, homicide, drug overdoses, and other causes of premature death.
The pandemic has made this situation worse. Since the pandemic’s onset, our entire incarcerated population has been placed in restrictive housing. Thousands released to mitigate the spread of COVID were released directly from this restrictive housing situation with inadequate preparation.
What you can do to help.
Solitary confinement is a dangerous practice which some consider amounts to torture. Releasing someone from such confinement directly to the general population or into our communities is doubly dangerous.
Please ask your Senator to support HB 67, which will be heard on 3/30/22, and improve this unsafe practice by permitting pre-release counseling and case manager services for individuals in their last 180 days of restrictive housing.
[email to legislator – Why should the legislator support this bill?]
Direct release from restrictive housing in our prisons is a public safety concern. Because of the pandemic’s impact on our prisons, reforming this practice is even more important than before.
As your constituent I urge you to support HB 67, which will be heard in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on 3/30/22, to improve on the unsafe practice of direct release from restrictive housing. As amended, HB 67 will require prisons to permit Marylanders in their last 6 months of solitary confinement to receive any available reentry and case manager services to assist them with their return to our communities.
Prior to the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DCSPS) released approximately 250 to 300 people each year directly to the community from restrictive housing without any step-down transition to prepare them to return to the community. These individuals often have no clear plans about where to live, where to find employment, or how to access needed services, such as health care or obtaining personal identification. Without preparation and reentry services, prisoners directly released from restrictive housing are less likely to return safely to our communities and more likely to reoffend, as well as more likely to suffer premature death from suicide, homicide, overdose and other causes.
Please support HB 67 to make our communities safer by allowing reentry and case manager services to those within 6 months of release from solitary back to our communities!
