Solitary Watch

Solitary Watch is a national watchdog group that investigates, documents, and disseminates information on the use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons, jails, and detention centers. Our mission is to bring this once-hidden domestic human rights issue out of the shadows and into the light of the public square, providing the public—as well as attorneys, scholars, policymakers, educators, advocates, currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families—with the first centralized, comprehensive source of information on solitary confinement in the United States.

The site features original reporting on solitary confinement, a growing archive of information and resources, and "Voices from Solitary"--firsthand stories that give a human face to the facts and figures, and to a subset of individuals that is even more invisible than the prison population at large. We also collaborate on several special projects, including Photo Requests from Solitary, Lifelines to Solitary, and the Unlock the Box campaign.

Now in its tenth year, Solitary Watch is run remotely from home offices in DC and New York, overseen by veteran journalist James Ridgeway and independent media manager Jean Casella, with contributions from freelance reporters and prison journalists as well as our interns.

For more information, visit solitarywatch.org.