Malik Muhammad, a disabled Army veteran sentenced to 10 years for his role in 2020 protests, has spent over 250 days in solitary confinement at Oregon State Penitentiary. Last Friday, he ended a nine-day hunger strike protesting his confinement. His attorney, Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties Defense Center, highlighted the toll of prolonged isolation on Muhammad, who suffers from PTSD. “Malik is designated 100 percent disabled as a combat veteran because of extreme PTSD. And the Department of Corrections knows that,” Regan stated.
Muhammad’s confinement follows an incident where he requested to speak to a supervisor but was instead tased, beaten, and placed in solitary. “They stick two taser guns through the slot of the cell and start firing darts,” said Regan. “Even after he is on the ground and completely incapacitated because he’s being electrocuted, they continue.”
Oregon’s Department of Corrections denies exceeding the state’s 90-day solitary confinement limit, citing technical shifts between segregated housing units. Regan counters, claiming these are mere administrative reclassifications: “He’s literally staying in the same solitary confinement cell.”
The use of solitary confinement has been widely criticized as exacerbating mental health conditions. Human rights groups consider its prolonged use tantamount to torture. While Oregon limits consecutive solitary confinement to 90 days, Muhammad’s case reveals loopholes allowing extended isolation. “The DOC is attempting to sneak this under the radar with multiple segregation designations,” Regan explained.
Muhammad’s supporters argue his treatment reflects racial bias and systemic issues within the prison system. Regan emphasized, “There are several cases where Black individuals engaging in radical protest forms receive starkly harsher punishments.”
Muhammad’s hunger strike has sparked progress toward his release into general population housing, but his ordeal raises concerns about the prison system’s capacity for rehabilitation. “For the racist prison system to intentionally punish him in ways that will cause additional mental health impacts… is the opposite of what the prison systems say they are doing,” Regan remarked.
Link: The Intercept