Did you know right now there is a bill sitting in the DC Council Judiciary committee to end solitary confinement in DC jail? It is Bill 26-0028 — Eliminating Restrictive and Segregated Enclosures (“ERASE”) Solitary Confinement Act of 2025.

Solitary confinement is deeply harmful—it breaks people down mentally, physically, and spiritually. Extended isolation causes or worsens anxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal thoughts. Nearly half of suicides behind bars occur in solitary confinement, even though only a small percentage of people are held there. It also damages physical health, leading to sleep problems, weakened immunity, and the deterioration of chronic conditions. For people with mental-health needs, solitary replaces treatment with punishment, worsening symptoms and increasing crises. The American Public Health Association has declared solitary confinement a public-health issue, recognizing that isolation is not safety—it is suffering.

The use of solitary confinement also mirrors the racial inequities in the criminal legal system. Black and Latino people, and especially Black women, are far more likely to be placed in isolation. It denies opportunities for education, therapy, and social connection—key elements of rehabilitation—and instead fosters trauma, anger, and instability that follow people home. For youth, women, and others with special needs, the harms are even greater. Solitary units are more violent, less stable, and more expensive to operate, offering no proven benefit to safety. In truth, solitary confinement is a failed policy that destroys lives, deepens inequity, and erodes public trust. Ending its use is not only a moral imperative—it is a necessary step toward justice, healing, and true community safety.