[blindlaw] blind or visually impaired prisoners residing in solitary confinement

[Deepa Goraya]

A message from Jamelia Morgan from the ACLU.

Hello All:

As the new Arthur Liman Fellow at the ACLU National Prison Project,
I’ll be leading the research and advocacy on the use of solitary
confinement on physically disabled prisoners.  This is a population
that is often marginalized in prisons and jails.  Although data on the
exact numbers of individuals in prisons and jails is difficult to
locate, estimates indicate that as many as 26% of state prisoners
report possessing a hearing or visual impairment or physical
disability. Furthermore, as the prison population ages, research
indicates that the number of prisoners living with physical
disabilities will increase significantly.  These problems in the
general prison population are magnified in isolation.

My project’s overarching goals are to uncover what is happening,
formulate actions to stop the use of isolation on individuals with
disabilities, and prevent the use of this practice from expanding with
proactive advocacy and public education, and possibly litigation.  To
support that effort, we are collecting stories of blind or visually
impaired prisoners residing in solitary confinement for a human rights
report that will raise public awareness of the issue. If you know a
blind or visually impaired prisoner residing in solitary confinement,
in the past or at present, please fill out the form found here.

If you have any questions, please contact Jamelia Morgan at jmorgan at aclu.org.

Sincerely,
Jamelia Morgan
Arthur Liman Fellow
ACLU National Prison Project

Deepa

Deepinder K. Goraya, ESQ.