Inhumane and Ineffective: Solitary Confinement in Michigan and Beyond
Michigan Journal of Race and Law winter 2013 symposium “Inhumane and Ineffective: Solitary Confinement in Michigan and Beyond”! The event will take place February 2, 2013 at the University of Michigan Law School, South Hall.
Our symposium will address the psychological harms, constitutional problems, and enormous economic and social costs that accompany a government’s decision to confine human beings in a small prison cell twenty-three hours per day. Additionally, we will discuss the state of solitary confinement in Michigan and potential strategies to reduce or eliminate the practice of solitary confinement.
Through this year’s symposium, we hope to bring to the attention of our participants how the use of solitary confinement fits within the larger context of racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system. Racial disparities are well documented in the general prison population. African Americans comprise 12% of the population in the United States, but they account for about half of the prison population. Where possible, our symposium will also raise questions of racial bias in the use of solitary confinement itself. This is a great event for students, alumni, faculty and practitioners interested in better understanding how solitary confinement impacts individuals, communities and economies.
For a list of our esteemed speakers and additional information about the symposium, please visit our website. We sincerely hope that you will save the date, spread the word, and that we will see you February 2, 2013!
