Tickets Available Soon ($25.00)
* This event is part of Common Unity 3. To learn more about Common Unity and accompanying events, click here.
The Solitary Justice Project is bringing together powerful voices—survivors of solitary confinement and the families deeply affected by its impact—to demand policy change across Indiana, Michigan, the nation, and the world. We all know the Nelson Mandela Rules regarding inhumane torture, but do our policymakers? It’s time to make them listen.
Join us to hear from an extraordinary panel of resilient survivors who overcame the dark hours of isolation to create art, poetry, and leadership.
Panelists Include
- Leon Benson/EL BENTLY 448: Solitary survivor of 10 consecutive years (12 total out of 25 years)
- Vernon T. Bateman: Renowned artist who used his art inside to advocate, write children’s books, work to end gun violence, and provide a means for those who committed gun violence to make amends
- Carlos Wallace: A profound poet who used isolation to elevate his consciousness and leadership skills
- Zolo Azania: An educator and artist who painted pictures and wrote books to advocate from within
Vernon T. Bateman
Leon Benson
Carlos Wallace
Zolo Azania
Doors Open: 5:30 pm
Panel Discussion: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Socialization: 7:30 -9:00 pm
While this select group found the resilience to pull through, so many others do not. We must break the stigma, address the severe mental wellness issues it creates, and discuss how families are shattered by this system.
Come out, stand with us, and see a deeper side of the inhumanity and injustice endured in the Indiana Department of Corrections. We need your presence to drive real change!
Featured image: Four survivors of solitary confinement. Credit: Common Unity 3.