With the legislature in full swing now, the work on our bills is going at lightening speed.
The hearing for the solitary confinement bill will be before the Criminal Justice Committee on February 17th. If you’re interested in attending the hearing and testifying, or if you’d just like to go to show your support, email me and I’ll get you details.
On February 23rd, People of Conscience will head to
A broad coalition has endorsed Representative Schatz’s bill to limit the use of solitary confinement:
- American Friends Service Committee – Maine
- Amnesty International
- Centro Latino
- Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project
- Let Cuba Live
- Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians
- Maine Civil Liberties Union
- Maine Council of Churches
- Maine Jeremiah Project
- Maine People’s Alliance
- Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition
- NAACP – Portland Branch
- National Association of Social Workers – Maine Chapter
- National Religious Campaign Against Torture
- Preble Street Resource Center
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
- Tengo Voz
A number of organizations and local unions are considering endorsing the bill as well. To learn more about solitary confinement and this specific bill, visit our new webpage on the issue.
Individuals can endorse the bill as well! Sign our petition by visiting www.endsolitary.org to sign a petition endorsing the bill.
MPBN recently covered another one of our priority bills – Senator Damon’s bill to ban the use of a specific kind of surveillance camera. Listen to the story here. The hearing for this bill will be before the Transportation Committee on February 5th. Again, if you’re interested in going, email me and I will get you more details. This new technology has huge privacy implications. Right now if you’re driving around