The 2013 prisoners strike against solitary confinement in the US

By Payday men’s network

On 8 July 2013, 30,000 prisoners across California stopped eating and went on work strike to end long-term solitary confinement (called Secure Housing Units or SHU). We publicised this movement, especially the historic Agreement to end hostilities agreed by inmates across racial divisions the previous year and which made the 2013 strikes so successful, as well as an account of the support campaign by our sister Margaret Prescod from Women of Colour GWS. By 2015, California prisoners were no longer sent to the SHU based on allegations of gang affiliation, but only if they had committed a serious offense, and many had been released from solitary.