Resource: Prison Segregation: Symposium Introduction and Preliminary Data on Racial Disparities

The Michigan Journal of Race & Law's symposium, Inhumane and Ineffective: Solitary Confinement in Michigan and Beyond, was held on February 2, 2013, at the University of Michigan Law School; it brought together a dozen speakers on the topic of solitary confinement in three panels (“Isolation and Mental Health”; “Crisis in Michigan”; and “Strategies for Reform”). In keeping with the mission of the Journal, this brief Introduction offers some preliminary data that suggest that in many states the harsh conditions of solitary confinement are probably disproportionately affecting prisoners of color. I then introduce the two related papers published in this issue, each addressing an ongoing civil rights lawsuit seeking change.