PASS LD 1611: End the Long-Term Use of Solitary Confinement in Maine

“It’s an awful thing, solitary…  It crushes your spirit and weakens your resistance more effectively than any other form of mistreatment.”
– Senator John McCain

Doctors have found that solitary confinement causes physical and mental harm.  Solitary confinement is torture.  It’s happening in Maine prisons right now. 

Everyone, even those in prison, deserves to be treated like a human being.  As long as we dehumanize prisoners in Maine, we dehumanize ourselves. Torture is a moral issue and it makes us all less safe. Most people in prison will someday be out of prison, and the sort of people they are when they get out of prison is strongly affected by the treatment they receive in prison.

Support LD 1611, An Act to Ensure Humane Treatment for Special Management Prisoners.

Please sign the statement of conscience below.

Everyone, even those in prison, deserves to be treated like a human being. Being in solitary confinement for days, months or even years is torture. As long as we dehumanize prisoners in Maine, we dehumanize ourselves. Torture is a moral issue, and it makes us all less safe. Most of people in prison will someday be out of prison, and the sort of people they are when they get out of prison is strongly affected by the treatment they receive in prison. We, the undersigned, urge the Maine State Legislature to pass LD 1611: An Act to Secure Humane Treatment for Special Management Prisoners. This bill will limit the long-term use of solitary confinement in Maine prisons. It will honor our commitment to international treaties we’ve signed, including the UN Convention Against Torture. There are safer, more economical and humane alternatives to solitary confinement. To learn more about the bill and why we support it, go to www.mclu.org. The Maine Civil Liberties Union, Maine Association of Psychological Physicians, Maine Council of Churches, NAACP – Portland, Roman Catholic Diocese and many other organizations support LD 1611. We urge elected officials to vote yes on LD 1611.

Optional Member Code

First Name*

Last Name*

Email

Phone

Street

City*

Zip/Postal Code*

Occupation

Religious Affiliation

Place of Worship

Title Rabbi Pastor M.D. Ph.D Mr. Mrs. Ms. Esq. MSW Lay Leader

0-25 of 347 signatures

Number	Date	Name	Location
347	May 12, 2010	leah waldo	augusta
346	April 17, 2010	Ron Manganiello	South Burlington
345	March 30, 2010	Lucas Myers	South Portland
344	March 26, 2010	Frank Sanfilippo	Portland
343	March 25, 2010	Ashley DeAngelo	Portland
342	March 25, 2010	DeAngelo silvrbeatl@yahoo.com	04103
341	March 25, 2010	Ashley DeAngelo	Portland
340	March 20, 2010	Joyce Werblin	Salem Twp
339	March 16, 2010	joel pulkkinen	portland
338	March 15, 2010	Cornelia Walworth	Yarmouth
337	March 15, 2010	David Gibson	Fryeburg
336	March 15, 2010	Daniel Beckman	Belfast
335	March 15, 2010	David Gibson	Fryeburg
334	March 14, 2010	joel pulkkinen	portland
333	March 13, 2010	Mary Ellen Stanley	Oakland
332	March 13, 2010	Courtney Culley	Georgetown
331	March 13, 2010	Samuel Brush	Georgetown
330	March 12, 2010	Daniel Walter	Hancock
329	March 12, 2010	Deirdre Good	Northport
328	March 11, 2010	William H. slavick	portland,
327	March 11, 2010	Sarah White	Franklin
326	March 11, 2010	Alexis Bohonnon	Waterville
325	March 10, 2010	Kelly Smith	Augusta
324	March 10, 2010	Toni Campoamor	Camden
323	March 10, 2010	Dana Roberts	Waterville

Next ->