PennLive Patriot-News: “Reform advocates are making another push to limit the use of solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons and jails, a long-running effort that has seen fits and starts of legislation and court cases over several years.

Advocates rallied in the Capitol last week in support of a bill that would, among other reforms, limit solitary confinement to no more than 15 days at a stretch.

That standard is consistent with United Nations treaties often called ‘Mandela Rules’ in reference to the late South African civil rights leader, Nelson Mandela — standards to which the United States is nominally subject to under international law, but not in this country.

‘Solitary confinement is torture on an international level. Confining prisoners of war in solitary confinement is a violation of international treaties, and yet we do this here in Pennsylvania every single day,’ said Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny County, who has circulated a bill memo seeking support for the legislation.

In addition to the 15-day standard, Kinkead anticipates her bill would limit what offenses could be used to justify solitary confinement, require a certain amount of outside contact even when in solitary, and other reforms.”

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