No human being should suffer inhumane treatment while in prison or in jail. It is time to ban solitary confinement in Maine.
“A 2021 study published in Justice Quarterly found that people suffering from mental illness are 170 percent more likely to spend extended periods of time in solitary confinement,” writes Rossana Natalini. Her son died by suicide in 2017 after being placed in maximum-security isolation at the Cumberland County Jail. Shutterstock.com
In 2017, my son, Dante Majeroni, was incarcerated and spent time in Cumberland County Jail in maximum-security isolation. A 2021 study published in Justice Quarterly found that people suffering from mental illness are 170 percent more likely to spend extended periods of time in solitary confinement. According to the American Journal of Public Health, the rate of self-harm among those in solitary is 10 times that of the general prison population. For those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, it can make it worse. It increases depression and may lead to thoughts of suicide.
Because of Dante’s PTSD and mental health issues, I pleaded with the police and the court-appointed attorney, telling them that my son needed to be in the hospital, not jail. My pleas were ignored. Instead, he was placed in isolation in the maximum-security unit.
March 21, 2017, was the last time I saw my son alive. Dante wrote on the walls of his cell, “I am going to kill myself. I am going to die here.” He attempted suicide. One week later, still in isolation, he died by suicide.
Dante was in the care and custody of the jail. Yet his and my pleas for help were ignored. Instead, I received a knock at my door at 2 in the morning and was told by the police that my son was in critical condition in the hospital on life support.
My daughters, my husband and I have endured too much pain and suffering since his death nearly five years ago. It could easily have been prevented.
Dante was a good kid, well liked, loved by his family, an athlete and a community volunteer. He would have taken the shirt off his back to help others. He is sorely missed.
Solitary confinement, isolation, segregation is not the solution. It is inhumane.
Instead, we need more community mental health services, more forensic mental health units and training for corrections officers so they can recognize the signs and symptoms of a mental health crisis in the residents in their care.
It is time that Maine did away with solitary confinement. We have decades of research showing that it harms. It does not have any rehabilitative purpose. And it makes our communities less safe. Most people in prison or in jail will be released back into the community. If we want them to be successful, we must consider the consequences of our treatment of them while they are in our care.
On Feb. 9 at 10 a.m., the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing on L.D. 696, An Act To Prohibit Solitary Confinement in Maine’s Corrections System. It should have the support of all of us.
And if you see someone who is sad or a little off, reach out to them. It could be a member of your family or a friend. We all need loving support when we are struggling.
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