In November 2023, the LWVWA Board approved a request to pay writers with lived experience to republish their work in The Evergreen Voter. We will be highlighting issues that are or will be before the legislature. We are pleased to be able to share the perspectives of those who are most affected by these issues.

Our first in the series is an essay by Kevin Light-Roth, originally published in The Stranger, and entitled “Bill to Reduce Solitary Confinement Stalls.”

Light-Roth's essay discusses the challenges faced by the solitary confinement reform bill, HB 1087 during the 2023 legislative session. The bill aims to mandate the reduction of solitary confinement, expand education and therapeutic programming for individuals in solitary, and eventually phase out its use. Despite strong initial support and a diverse coalition, the bill faced opposition based on high projected costs—estimated to be $78 million in the next fiscal period and $98 million in the following two periods. Critics question the accuracy of the above fiscal note and argue that reducing solitary should result in cost savings. The bill was not voted down but stalled in the House Appropriations Committee.

Light-Roth’s essay highlights the psychological impact of solitary and ongoing efforts by advocates to reform the practice. The Department of Corrections proposes reducing solitary by 90% over five years, but critics argue that this falls short of addressing the torture of solitary confinement. The push for reform continues, with the hope that the bill will move forward during the 2024 legislative session. 

You can follow the progress of this legislation, and all of our criminal justice work, on the Criminal Justice issue webpage.