Sunday, October 11, 2015

How to Do a Solitary Confinement Demo




 How To Do a Solitary Confinement Demo in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1: SET GOAL
  • What do you hope to accomplish with your demonstration?
Examples: get passers-by to send postcards to a specific prisoner, sign a petition to end long-term solitary confinement, support a lawsuit to end long-term solitary confinement

Step 2: BUILD CELL
  • Get measurements: how big is the solitary cell you are re-creating? (typically range from 6 x 9 to 8 x 10 but some prisoners may be in even smaller confinement – if you are supporting a specific prisoner, check with the inmate).
  • Make your cell: you can use chalk to draw it on the ground, use masking tape to mark it on the ground, or build a replica of a solitary confinement cell
  • Fill your cell: can leave empty, to signify the person who is missing from society; can fill it with prison items and have an activist inside the cell representing the prisoner.
  • Prepare materials. Have something to hand out to passers-by: brochure about your prisoner, copy of the petition, pre-addressed stamped postcards for them to write to the prisoner, stickers, etc.

STEP 3: PUBLICIZE YOUR EVENT
  • Make an event page for the action
  • Contact local media a week before the event – include a press release
  • Go guerilla: skip publicizing the event and just do it!

STEP 4: DAY OF
  • Be courteous and polite
  • Engage the public
  • Take pictures for write-up

STEP 5: AFTER THE ACTION