Our friend at Duke Divinity School, Meredith Manchester, has launched a petition calling on Durham residents to demand an end to solitary confinement at the Durham County jail.
Sheriff Clarence Birkhead — who brands himself as a progressive — insists that “solitary isn’t that bad in the jail,” and even suggests that “restrictive housing may be the best place for some people with serious mental illness.” Let’s be clear: solitary confinement is torture. It is especially harmful to people with serious mental illness and violates international human rights law.
And Birkhead knows this.
He served on Governor Cooper’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, which issued a report explicitly condemning the use of restrictive housing — defined as isolating someone in a cell for 22 to 24 hours per day. The report found that this practice is disproportionately used against people of color and causes lasting harm. Compared to incarcerated individuals who were not placed in solitary, those who were:
- Were 24% more likely to die in the first year after release.
- Were 78% more likely to die by suicide.
- Were 127% more likely to die of an opioid overdose within two weeks of release.
Sheriff Birkhead’s own team recommended that North Carolina adopt the Mandela Rules, which prohibit:
- Solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days.
- Solitary confinement for indefinite periods.
- Solitary confinement for people with serious mental illness.
The Durham City-County Community Safety and Wellness Task Force unanimously adopted similar recommendations in 2023.
But despite all of this, the Durham County Detention Center continues to use solitary confinement without these safeguards — for long, indefinite periods, including for nonviolent behavior, and against people with serious mental illness. There are no policies in place to prevent it.
Meredith’s petition calls on Sheriff Birkhead to adopt the very reforms he once supported — to make our community safer, more equitable, and more humane.
Meanwhile, in Durham Superior Court, Emancipate NC is fighting for transparency. Last year, we sued Sheriff Birkhead to force the release of unredacted jail policies and procedures. But on April 10, Birkhead will ask a judge to dismiss our public records case, claiming the policies must remain secret for “security” reasons.
Emancipate NC’s Elizabeth Simpson will be in court arguing for the public’s right to know how its jail operates.
If you would like more information about the petition campaign, contact Meredith at Meredith.Manchester@duke.edu