Amended bill to limit solitary confinement heads to Senate floor (Observer file photo) By Noah Fleischman | February 3, 2021 at 5:03 PM EST - Updated February 3 at 7:20 PM
RICHMOND, Va. - David Smith remembers dancing to music in his head and having conversations with television shows during 16 months in solitary confinement at Norfolk City Jail.
“Your mind plays tricks on you,” Smith said. “There was a slow disconnect with reality. I didn’t recognize the pain that was happening in me, nor did I have the emotional strength to fight back, institutionally.”
Smith is no longer an inmate, but his goal is to end the torture that he said Virginia inmates have endured while sitting in solitary confinement. Smith served a three-year sentence after pleading guilty to 10 counts of possession of child pornography in 2013. Now Smith works with the Virginia Coalition on Solitary Confinement to lead the charge for legislative change.
Amended solitary confinement bill heads to Virginia Senate Follow Us
Question of the Day By NOAH FLEISCHMAN of Capital News Service - Associated Press - Wednesday, February 3, 2021
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - David Smith remembers dancing to music in his head and having conversations with television shows during 16 months in solitary confinement at Norfolk City Jail.
“Your mind plays tricks on you,” Smith said. “There was a slow disconnect with reality. I didn’t recognize the pain that was happening in me, nor did I have the emotional strength to fight back, institutionally.”
Smith is no longer an inmate, but his goal is to end the torture that he said Virginia inmates have endured while sitting in solitary confinement. Smith served a three-year sentence after pleading guilty to 10 counts of possession of child poronography in 2013. Now Smith works with the Virginia Coalition on Solitary