Solitary is not benefiting anybody in any place in any way.

Think of a parking space surrounded by concrete walls and a concrete block where you have this really thin pad for a mattress, a stainless steel toilet, and a light that never turns off.

That's solitary confinement.

Hello and welcome to opening arguments.

This is episode 1216.

I'm Thomas Smith.

And in a moment, I'm going to be joined by, of course, immigration attorney, Matt Cameron,

and a very special guest.

His name is Christopher Blackwell.

This is another interview I'm really proud to be bringing you. It's been really interesting and thought-provoking to speak to

incarcerated folks who also happen to be journalists, writers, activists, and something that I think

is so perfect for our mission here in the new iteration of the show, talking to real people

and emphasizing the human stories and all of it. Christopher Blackwell recently released with

his fellow co-authors, ending isolation, the case against solitary confinement. And look,

I imagine most people listening to the show, if not all, are already going to be like,

yeah, that's awful. But there's so much to learn from Christopher. There are also plenty of

elements that I can almost guarantee you wouldn't have come across or been exposed to. So I'm so

excited for you to hear it. As always, please support the show, conversations like this,

patreon.com slash law. It's a tough world out there these days. Listener support

is more needed than ever. Thanks so much to those who support. And we hope you enjoy not having to

hear ads. All right. After this break, we'll be on with Christopher Blackwell. This show's brought

to you by 1-800 Flowers.

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