My son has lived in isolation for 14 years

Take Action John Martinez is a prisoner in a high security prison isolation unit in California. He has been in solitary confinement for 14 years. On any given day, more than 80,000 prisoners are held in isolation in the U.S. The effects are devastating. Many experience extreme weight loss. Many develop psychological issues like anxiety, depression, insomnia and extreme paranoia. Many resort to self-harm or suicide. In fact, half of all successful suicides in U.S. prisons occur in solitary cells. In many respects, the U.S. stands alone on the world stage when it comes to its pervasive use of solitary confinement. We must push for investigation, for documentation, and for change. Call on US Secretary of State Kerry to invite U.N. Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez to conduct a fact-finding visit to U.S. super-maximum security prisons. Dear Tracy, When you think of solitary confinement, what comes to mind? Is it the size of the room, large enough to take only two steps on either side? Is it the concrete cell, holding only a thin mattress, a table and a sink? Is it the despair, the confusion, the lack of human interaction? My name is Dolores Canales, and when I think of solitary confinement, I think of my son. Call on Secretary of State John Kerry to shine a light on the treatment of prisoners like my son, who are held in isolation in the United States. My son John Martinez is a Pelican Bay Security Housing Unit prisoner. He has been in solitary confinement for 14 years. When Americans are held in solitary confinement in other countries — and subjected to the treatment that Johnny faces — it is considered barbaric and a form of torture. And yet, the United States continues to use solitary confinement more than any other democratic country. Johnny spends nearly twenty-fours a day in a windowless cell. He has a metal door covered with dime-sized holes. When he closes one eye so that he can see out of the dime-sized hole, his view is that of another cement wall. Imagine that wall being your view for a year, or for a decade — or for many people, for several decades. Food is delivered twice per day through a slot in his cell door. He never breathes fresh air or sees the sun. President Obama recently stated that the U.S. welcomes international scrutiny on its use of solitary confinement. Help me test his commitment to such an inquiry. In February, Amnesty International will be delivering petitions to demand that Secretary Kerry take action. Kerry must invite U.N. Special Rapporteur Juan Mendez to conduct a fact-finding visit to U.S. super-maximum security prisons. I worry every day that Johnny will be in solitary confinement until the day he dies — or worse, goes insane. Sometimes, I wake up at night feeling as if I can't breathe, wondering what it must be like to wake up in a cement tomb, not even knowing whether it is day or night. When I see the morning sun, rather than rejoicing in a new day, I oftentimes break into tears of agony as I envision the sun as if through my son's eyes. Help me call attention to the treatment that he faces. Please stand with me in calling for an end to prolonged solitary confinement. In strength, Dolores Canales Mother of John Martinez