Please take a moment to call these legislators about “The Isolated Confinement Restriction Act.” Contact information and a script can be found below.
Asw. Annette Quijano [District 20 - Union]
Chair of Assembly Judiciary Committee
Dial: (908) 327-9119, ask to speak with Assemblywoman Quijano or her policy aide in regard to Assembly Bill 314, “The Isolated Confinement Restriction Act.”
Introduce yourself and mention any relevant identification [“from your district” / organization affiliation]
Urge her to introduce the bill into the Judiciary Committee at its next hearing [see sample script and talking points below].
[Optional, but very helpful] Send a follow-up email, which you can request from the aide, but here are the direct emails:
Assemblywoman Quijano - aswquijano@njleg.org
Seth Levin - slevin@njleg.org
Hello, this is [your name], from [your organization or “the coalition seeking to end solitary confinement in New Jersey”]. I’m calling to firstly thank the Assemblywoman for her affirmative vote on this bill in 2015. This bill is very important to me, because [your reasons--see some talking points below]. As you know, Governor Christie vetoed this same bill in 2016, and we think that NOW is the time to push for humane alternatives to isolation in New Jersey. Because we plan to show up in large numbers to support the bill, we would love to know when the next hearing date will be, since it isn’t listed on the legislative calendar. [if leaving a voicemail] You can reach out [me/us] at [Your number, or NJ-CAIC phone: 732-347-6508]. Thank you for your time and your support.
Talking points:
Prolonged solitary confinement, by any name or for any reason, is cruel and inhumane according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Isolation is immoral, as it denies people access to meaningful human contact, and it severely restricts access to education, healthcare, and rehabilitative programs.
Solitary confinement is costly, and studies show that reducing the amount of time in-cell actually reduces institutional violence between incarcerated people and corrections staff.
Isolation is disproportionately used against people of color--and at proportions higher than most other states. [source: The 2018 ASCA-Liman report called “Aiming to Reduce Time In-Cell”]
Many states are developing humane alternatives, which are listed and updated on the Vera Institute for Justice website: [www.SafeAlternativesToSegregation.org]
This is the most progressive legislation on solitary confinement in the nation, and would truly put New Jersey in the vanguard for progressive and humane correctional practices.
[“As you know,”] This bill offers vital protections for vulnerable populations, including people with serious mental illnesses, people needing urgent medical care, youth, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Other reasons… [Event you attended; you or someone you know was impacted; etc.]
More info on solitary in NJ: www.njcaic.org
Asm. Craig Coughlin [District 19 - Middlesex]
Speaker of the Assembly
Dial: (732) 855-7441, ask to speak with Speaker Coughlin or his policy aide in regard to Assembly Bill 314, “The Isolated Confinement Restriction Act.”
Introduce yourself and mention any relevant identification [“from your district” / organization affiliation]
Urge him to support the bill by requesting it to be heard at the next Judiciary Committee hearing, and by putting it up for a floor vote, as soon as possible [see sample script and talking points below].
[Optional, but very helpful] Send a follow-up email, which you can request from the aide, but here are the direct emails:
Speaker Coughlin - asmcoughlin@njleg.org
Dan Harris - dharris@njleg.org
Hello, this is [your name], from [your organization or “the coalition seeking to end solitary confinement in New Jersey”]. I’m calling to firstly thank the Speaker for his sponsorship of A.314. This bill is very important to me, because [your reasons--see some talking points below]. As you know, Governor Christie vetoed this same bill in 2016, and we think that NOW is the time to push for humane alternatives to isolation in New Jersey. Because we plan to show up in large numbers to support the bill, we would love to know when the next hearing date will be, since it isn’t listed on the legislative calendar. [if leaving a voicemail] You can reach out [me/us] at [Your number, or NJ-CAIC phone: 732-347-6508]. Thank you for your time and your support.
Talking points:
Prolonged solitary confinement, by any name or for any reason, is cruel and inhumane according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Isolation is immoral, as it denies people access to meaningful human contact, and it severely restricts access to education, healthcare, and rehabilitative programs.
Solitary confinement is costly, and studies show that reducing the amount of time in-cell actually reduces institutional violence between incarcerated people and corrections staff.
Isolation is disproportionately used against people of color--and at proportions higher than most other states. [source: The 2018 ASCA-Liman report called “Aiming to Reduce Time In-Cell”]
Many states are developing humane alternatives, which are listed and updated on the Vera Institute for Justice website: [www.SafeAlternativesToSegregation.org]
This is the most progressive legislation on solitary confinement in the nation, and would truly put New Jersey in the vanguard for progressive and humane correctional practices.
[“As you know,”] This bill offers vital protections for vulnerable populations, including people with serious mental illnesses, people needing urgent medical care, youth, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Other reasons… [Event you attended; you or someone you know was impacted; etc.]
More info on solitary in NJ: www.njcaic.org
Sen. Linda Greenstein [District 14 - Mercer]
Chair of the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee
Dial: (609) 395-9911, ask to speak with Senator Greenstein or her policy aide in regard to Senate Bill 3261, “The Isolated Confinement Restriction Act.”
Urge her to support the bill by introducing it at the next Law and Public Safety Committee hearing [see sample script and talking points below].
[Optional, but very helpful] Send a follow-up email, which you can request from the aide, but here are the direct emails:
Senator Greenstein - sengreenstein@njleg.org
Hello, this is [your name], from [your organization or “the coalition seeking to end solitary confinement in New Jersey”]. I’m calling to firstly thank the Senator for her affirmative votes for this bill in 2015. This bill is very important to me, because [your reasons--see some talking points below]. As you know, Governor Christie vetoed this same bill in 2016, and we think that NOW is the time to push for humane alternatives to isolation in New Jersey. Because we plan to show up in large numbers to support the bill, we would love to know when the next hearing date will be, since it isn’t listed on the legislative calendar. [if leaving a voicemail] You can reach out [me/us] at [Your number, or NJ-CAIC phone: 732-347-6508]. Thank you for your time and your support.
Talking points:
Prolonged solitary confinement, by any name or for any reason, is cruel and inhumane according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Isolation is immoral, as it denies people access to meaningful human contact, and it severely restricts access to education, healthcare, and rehabilitative programs.
Solitary confinement is costly, and studies show that reducing the amount of time in-cell actually reduces institutional violence between incarcerated people and corrections staff.
Isolation is disproportionately used against people of color--and at proportions higher than most other states. [source: The 2018 ASCA-Liman report called “Aiming to Reduce Time In-Cell”]
Many states are developing humane alternatives, which are listed and updated on the Vera Institute for Justice website: [www.SafeAlternativesToSegregation.org]
This is the most progressive legislation on solitary confinement in the nation, and would truly put New Jersey in the vanguard for progressive and humane correctional practices.
[“As you know,”] This bill offers vital protections for vulnerable populations, including people with serious mental illnesses, people needing urgent medical care, youth, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Other reasons… [Event you attended; you or someone you know was impacted; etc.]
More info on solitary in NJ: www.njcaic.org
Others: Your Legislator [Your District]
Committee Rosters: Senate and Assembly
Dial: [phone number], ask to speak with [name of Legislator] or [his/her] policy aide in regard to [Assembly Bill 314 / Senate Bill 3261], “The Isolated Confinement Restriction Act.”
Introduce yourself and mention any relevant identification [“from your district” / organization affiliation]
Urge her to support the bill [see sample script and talking points below].
[Optional, but very helpful] Send a follow-up email, which you can request from the aide.
Hello, this is [your name], from [your organization or “the coalition seeking to end solitary confinement in New Jersey”]. I’m calling to support this crucial solitary reform bill. This bill is very important to me, because [your reasons--see some talking points below]. As you know, Governor Christie vetoed this same bill in 2016, and we think that NOW is the time to push for humane alternatives to isolation in New Jersey. We would love to count on your support [in committee / when it goes to a floor vote]. [if leaving a voicemail] You can reach out [me/us] at [Your number, or NJ-CAIC phone: 732-347-6508]. Thank you for your time and your support.
Talking points:
Prolonged solitary confinement, by any name or for any reason, is cruel and inhumane according to the United Nations Convention Against Torture.
Isolation is immoral, as it denies people access to meaningful human contact, and it severely restricts access to education, healthcare, and rehabilitative programs.
Solitary confinement is costly, and studies show that reducing the amount of time in-cell actually reduces institutional violence between incarcerated people and corrections staff.
Isolation is disproportionately used against people of color--and at proportions higher than most other states. [source: The 2018 ASCA-Liman report called “Aiming to Reduce Time In-Cell”]
Many states are developing humane alternatives, which are listed and updated on the Vera Institute for Justice website: [www.SafeAlternativesToSegregation.org]
This is the most progressive legislation on solitary confinement in the nation, and would truly put New Jersey in the vanguard for progressive and humane correctional practices.
[“As you know,”] This bill offers vital protections for vulnerable populations, including people with serious mental illnesses, people needing urgent medical care, youth, the elderly, and pregnant women.
Other reasons… [Event you attended; you or someone you know was impacted; etc.]
More info on solitary in NJ: www.njcaic.org