We are a coalition of community organizers, formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones, direct service providers, students, and allies working together to end the use of long-term solitary confinement in Rhode Island. Our mission is rooted in dignity, accountability, and justice, and we seek to bring meaningful, evidence-based reform to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC).

We are calling for the following changes:

1. End RIDOC’s Reliance on Long-Term Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement is inhumane, ineffective, unsafe, and costly. Across the country, states are moving away from this practice with positive results. Even the RIDOC Director has acknowledged that “keeping people in cells 23 hours a day is not the way to go.” Rhode Island must follow suit by eliminating the use of prolonged isolation and implementing humane alternatives that promote rehabilitation and safety.

2. Close the High Security Center

The High Security Center—commonly known as High Side—is Rhode Island’s super maximum facility, where many of the 80–90 people incarcerated are subjected to extended solitary confinement in unsafe and degrading conditions. In 2021, it cost $216,000 per person per year to operate High Security, making it the most expensive prison facility in the state.

Meanwhile, Rhode Island continues to underfund reentry programs, mental health care, and community services—investments that are proven to enhance public safety. Even RIDOC’s own leadership has acknowledged that High Security suffers from severe structural problems. We call on the state to permanently close the High Security Center and redirect the savings into programs that support rehabilitation, wellness, and safer communities.

3. End Forced Out-of-State Transfers

In the Governor’s FY 2021 budget, RIDOC proposed exchanging 24 High Security prisoners with 24 out-of-state prisoners to address overcrowding. While individuals should have the option to transfer voluntarily, no one should be forcibly sent out of state. Forced transfers separate people from their families and support systems, undermining their chances for successful reentry and rehabilitation.

4. No New Beds, No New Facilities

As of RIDOC’s FY 2021 report, the state’s prison facilities operated at just 59% capacity—with more than 1,500 empty beds. Instead of spending millions on expanding prisons or building new facilities, Rhode Island should reduce its prison footprint by closing unused housing units and investing in treatment, education, and reentry programs that actually make communities safer.

5. Listen to Those Most Directly Impacted

Lasting reform must begin with the voices of those most affected by the system. Incarcerated people, their loved ones, and survivors of solitary confinement possess invaluable firsthand knowledge of RIDOC’s practices. Their experiences and insights must guide the development of humane and effective correctional policies.