....I ATTENDED THE ZOOM MEETING WITH RACHAEL SEEVERS TO ADDRESS THE UPCOMING HB 1312 TO LIMIT/BAN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. IT WAS A GREAT MEETING AND WAS A MIXATURE OF LAWYERS, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS AND TESTIMONIES FROM SURVIVORS OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND A YOU TUBE VIDEO WITH FORMER INMATES THAT ENDURED SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND EVEN MY HUSBAND AND HIS THOUGHTS ON HIS EXTENSIVE IMU STAYS OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS. . A SAMPLE OF WHAT THE DRW IS ADVOCATING FOR, "More than 600 people are currently in solitary confinement in our state prisons, in conditions that the international community has deemed torture. Black people and people of color, as well as people with disabilities, are disproportionally placed in these barbaric conditions, often for months and years at a time. This op-ed explains the current state of solitary in Washington and why true reform is needed. Advocates have been pushing for the Washington Department of Corrections to end the use of solitary for more than a decade now. We are glad to see DOC taking some steps to curb this barbaric practice by banning disciplinary segregation. But if the DOC recognizes solitary is harmful to people, they should be abolishing all solitary, including administrative segregation, not just one form of it. The vast majority of the hundreds of people in solitary will not be impacted by this change at all and they will be left to suffer in empty cages until DOC makes true reforms. Passing HB 1312, a bill that would end long term solitary and would prohibit its use entirely against vulnerable populations, including people with mental illness and elderly people, would do that." IT DOES ADDRESS EVERYONE WHO IS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. THEY DO FOCUS ON MINORITIES, MINORS, THE ELDERLY AND THOSE SUFFERING FROM ANY TYPE OF MENTAL ILLNESS THAT ARE PLACED IN ANY FORM OF SOLIATRY CONFINEMENT. INTERNATIONALLY IT IS DEEMED TORTURE TO KEEP ANY PERSON IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT FOR MORE THEN 14 DAYS. THE DRW WILL FOCUS ON THAT STANDARD BUT ALSO ADVOCATING TO COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. THE MEETINGS HAD SOME WONDERFUL TESTIMONIES FROM FORMER INMATES AND THEIR STRUGGLES, FROM FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE A LOVED ON IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AND LAWYERS THAT ARE FRUSTRATED WITH DEALING WTIH THE DOC AND THEIR HESITATION TO IMPLEMENT REAL REMFORMS. THE COLLABORATION WITH THE VERA INSTITUTE WAS MENTIONED AS WELL AND HOW THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE HAVE NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED WITHIN WASHINGTON DOC. IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO PARTAKE IN THIS PROCESS. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER STAKEHOLDER MEETING IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I PLAN ON STRONGLY ADVOCATING FOR THIS BILL AND HAVE OFFERED ANY ASSISTANCE THEY MAY NEED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND PROMOTE IT. FOCUSING ON HOW IT IMPACTS THOSE WHO HAVE A LOVED ON IN IMU, EMOTIONALLY AND MENTALLY. THE WORRY AND ANXIETY , THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION THAT CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT FAMILIES AN CHILDREN, AND THE NOT KNOWING WHEN THEY WILL BE RELEASED FROM IMU. IT IS LONG OVERDUE FOR A CHANGE AND RACHAEL SEEVERS AND MANY, MANY OTHERS ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO PASS THIS BILL TO INSTILL REAL CHANGES WITHIN THE WASHINGTON DOC. STERLING AND I THANK YOU ALL !!