SACRAMENTO, CA —The California Mandela Campaign, at a rally here at the State Capitol this week, was told by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) AB 280, the California Mandela Act that addresses the unjust use of solitary confinement, was dead for this legislative year.
According to the bill’s advocates, AB 280 had failed because of pressure on the behalf of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who advocates are charging undermined attempts for reform on this issue in the past.
The Mandela Act campaign, in a statement, said, “The governor has betrayed the progressive – or even moderate – values that he purports to uphold when it comes to solitary confinement, which he seems to have forgotten constitutes literal torture.
“To put it simply, he is extremely weird when it comes to solitary confinement. While Governor Newsom has claimed to believe the issue is ripe for reform, his actions have effectively killed AB 280 and undermined any attempts for change.”
At the Capitol rally, solitary confinement survivors, advocates, and civil rights organizations joined together to demand the governor’s office to take action.
However, advocates cited AB 2527, a bill which would add a provision to the use of solitary confinement for pregnant people, to be amended to allow state prison officials the discretion to put pregnant individuals in solitary. AB 2527 is currently on its way to the governor for his signature.
Advocates said they are concerned that if Newsom signed AB 2527, he may claim this legislation as a “significant change,” while his administration neglects the human right violations this bill potentially proposes.
