![]() It dehumanizes you.”īutler said he believes he survived because of a strong family support system. “Mentally and spiritually, it takes away a lot. “Being in those four walls and those four corners, it does something to you,” Butler said, in an interview with The Associated Press. He said none of the violence or other trauma in his young life prepared him for the despair of that situation. He had no contact with anyone - no books, no radio, no television. He was 15 years old when he got into a fight in prison and was thrown into solitary, spending 23 hours a day isolated in a small cell for two weeks. He dealt drugs and was arrested more than a dozen times before serving more than a year in prison on drug possession and firearms charges. It comes as the state is closing its maximum-security, Northern Correctional Institution, which was designed specifically to keep inmates in isolation.īutler has been open about his struggles as a youth in Racine, Wisconsin. The bill, which requires almost all inmates be allowed at least 6 1/2 hours out of their cells and also limits the use of certain restraints, received final legislative approval early Sunday morning. Ned Lamont to sign legislation that would strictly limit the use of solitary confinement and other forms of inmate isolation in prisons. The former UConn and NBA star planned to be at Connecticut’s state Capitol on Monday to ask Gov. He is a Trustee of the Vera Institute for Justice and the author of “Tuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA.Caron Butler played 14 seasons in the NBA.Ĭaron Butler can easily point to the lowest moment in his life - the days he spent as a teenager locked in a solitary confinement cell inside a juvenile prison. And pass it.Ĭaron Butler is a former professional basketball player, former UConn basketball player and is currently assistant coach of the Miami Heat. To fix this “We” problem, we need Connecticut’s leaders to step up and do what only they can: Put the PROTECT Act to a vote. If it doesn’t, it will continue to choose abuse over rehabilitation. Connecticut worked with the Vera Institute of Justice, where I serve as a Trustee, to adopt bold and leading rehabilitative programs that are a national model, even featured on “ 60 Minutes.” And it can lead again with the PROTECT Act. 1059, which has already passed out of committee.Ĭonnecticut has made us proud before, and I know it can again. Ned Lamont, Speaker Matt Ritter, and Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney - to advance the PROTECT Act, S.B. They are asking Connecticut’s political leaders - Gov. Residents, including former wardens, psychologists, dedicated activists at Stop Solitary CT, moms, and people themselves facing the damage caused by solitary confinement, have all testified in support of the bill. People who, like me, know that time in solitary might very well rob them of their second chance along with their humanity.Ī growing movement of folks in Connecticut sees solitary as a “We” problem. ![]() ![]() That’s why I am disturbed that Connecticut routinely uses solitary confinement against people it incarcerates - people who, like me, made mistakes, but have the desire and talent to thrive and give back once released. I got the message loud and clear: Our aim is not to rehabilitate you. Denied access to the family and community ties who remind you of who you are and who you could become. During those excruciating days, I had to dig deep to hold on to the things I cherish - my faith, my mother’s embrace, my brothers’ laughter, a perfect shot on the basketball court. I tried to mask my fear by acting tough and ended up in solitary for nearly two weeks. My time in prison - where I was one of the youngest - was frightening. I had multiple run-ins with the law before I was 15 and got an 18-month sentence. People like me.ĭespite the love and care of an amazing mom, I was exposed to drug-dealing and violence from a young age. If they choose to look away, they’ll be hurting people. But despite the United Nations calling out Connecticut’s use of solitary as torture, the state’s political leaders need more encouragement to do the right thing. Connecticut is considering State Bill 1059, which would comprehensively restrict solitary confinement and create responsible, impactful changes. Now, Connecticut faces a choice: join them in reforming this brutal practice or be left behind. States like New York and New Jersey have taken steps to limit solitary. It was damaging, physically and mentally. ![]() I made some serious mistakes and was incarcerated. Before I was an NBA forward, before I was a UConn Husky and Big East Conference Player of the Year, I was a teenager. ![]()
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