Thread by @ScottHech

As news spreads that Paul Manafort will be transferred to Rikers Island & held in solitary confinement until trial, I am seeing far too many people rejoicing & issuing praise for "Karma." Rikers Island & Solitary Confinement are both tortures *no one* should be subjected to.

When we support pain, punishment, torture, harshness, pre-trial detention, solitary, guilt until proven innocent for one--no matter how much we might despise them or think they "deserve it"--we further entrench an unjust system for all.

Our system of mass punishment, incarceration, criminalization was literally built on anger and fear based on extreme outlier cases and hatred for "the other." Every time someone commits a horrific crime or a particularly disdainful character gets caught, we just repeat history.

If we ever want lasting, transformative change; hope to abolish our criminal punishment system; work to meaningfully reduce people in jails & prisons; become fairer & more lenient, we have to try resist the instinct to want to hurt others. We must also have tolerance for tragedy.

By supporting Rikers for Manafort, we further engrain this system:

2.3 million in US jails/prisons.
500k in jail solely bc they’re poor.
89% on Rikers are Black/Latino.
$742 - per night cost of Rikers.
$260k per year per person.
9x more likely to plead to crime.

By supporting solitary for Manafort, we support an immoral, barbaric, cruel & unusual practice. Torture w/ long lasting, debilitating mental health consequences. And solitary for one means solitary is available for all. vox.com/future-perfect…

Victor Pate. An organizer fighting to #HALTSolitary: "I was in solitary for 2 yrs, w/ the longest stretch 90 days straight for having too many sheets. It was torture. And other people have been in solitary for years & decades straight. It does nothing to make a person better.”

Albert Woodfox. This man survived *43 years straight* in 6x9 ft cell. Solitary confinement. “I woke up w/ the same thought: Will this be the day? Will this be the day I lose my sanity & discipline? Will I start screaming & never stop?”

Kalief Browder. Arrested at 16. For allegedly stealing a backpack. Stuck on Rikers on $3500 for 3.5 years. Hundreds of days in solitary confinement. Committed suicide upon release. Pretrial detention and solitary confinement killed him.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/nyr…

ACT NOW: Right now, NY could pass a law to end prolonged solitary confinement in jails & prisons. But we’re hearing Democrats are suffering from “justice fatigue.”

Tell: @CarlHeastie @AndreaSCousins & @NYGovCuomo there’s always energy to end torture: nycaic.org/action.