LOUISIANA SOLITARY RETREAT

From Isolation to Action: Ending Torture in Our Name

Louisiana becomes the center of a powerful movement for justice. The Louisiana Solitary Retreat: Torture in Our Name brings together survivors, advocates, faith leaders, legal scholars, and community members to confront one of the most pressing human rights crises in our state: solitary confinement.

Hosted by the Impacted Solitary Survivors Council (ISSC) in partnership with the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC) and supported by national campaigns such as Unlock the Box and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), this retreat is more than a conference, it is a movement for healing, truth, and systemic change.

Impacted Leading the Retreat

Featured Speakers

The retreat features a powerful and diverse lineup of speakers who bring academic expertise, faith leadership, organizing strength, and lived experience:

• Andrea Armstrong – Legal scholar and professor, Armstrong is renowned for her groundbreaking work documenting prison conditions and exposing human rights violations across Louisiana.

• Rev. Alexis Anderson – Pastor, organizer, and tireless advocate for fairness and dignity for incarcerated people and their families.

• Caroline Durham – Advocate and organizer advancing mindful justice, survivor-centered healing, and grassroots power building.

• Naquasia Jones – National leader, survivor, and organizer with NRCAT (National Religious Campaign Against Torture), bringing a national lens to the fight against solitary confinement.

• Sherie Thomas – Executive Director of the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC), leading systemic reform and access-to-justice efforts across the state.

• Gina Womack – Co-founder and Executive Director of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC), Womack is a nationally recognized advocate for children and families impacted by the criminal legal system.

• Laketa Smith – Leader with ABLS (A Bella LeFemme Society), Smith is committed to empowering youth, families, and communities through education, advocacy, and reform initiatives.

Survivor Leaders & ISSC Voices

At the heart of the retreat are survivor leaders of ISSC whose lived experiences shape the movement:

• Kiana Calloway – Survivor, filmmaker, and national advocate, Calloway produces award-winning short films and documentaries about solitary confinement and has become a leading cultural and policy voice on reform.

• Consuela Gaines – Survivor and advocate, Gaines speaks powerfully about the impact of solitary confinement on women and families, offering healing-centered leadership.

• Gerald McKnight – Board Council of ISSC, who bravely navigated over 18 years within the Louisiana prison system and has emerged as a leading voice for reform and transformation.

• Taece Defillo – Media & Marketing Director for ISSC, who spent 5 years in a Louisiana women’s correctional institute and now uses her platform to amplify the voices of those impacted by solitary confinement.

• Daryl Hill – Youth Director for ISSC, who entered the Louisiana Department of Corrections at just 13 years old and has since dedicated his life to supporting and advocating for youth affected by the justice system.

These speakers remind us that solitary confinement is not an abstract policy — it is a lived reality. Their courage, truth-telling, and leadership fuel the movement to end torture in Louisiana’s prisons and jails.

Honoring Lives Lost

A central moment of the retreat will be the Memorial Ceremony, hosted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Reform Coalition. This moving ceremony will honor those who have perished while in solitary confinement and those whose lives have been irreparably harmed by isolation.

By remembering those silenced, the memorial demands accountability and insists that their lives not be forgotten in the struggle for justice.

The Transformative Work of ISSC

The Impacted Solitary Survivors Council (ISSC) continues to redefine advocacy by centering survivors in every decision and demand. Their work includes:

• Centering lived experience — survivors are not token participants but leading voices for reform.

• Narrative change — transforming silence into storytelling that challenges stigma and complacency.

• Coalition building — uniting grassroots groups, national allies, and local communities in the fight to end solitary.

• Healing and leadership — creating spaces like this retreat where survivors process trauma and step into power.

Impact Statement

The Louisiana Solitary Retreat is a transformative gathering that will:

• Elevate survivor voices to inspire truth, healing, and reform.

• Build coalitional power by uniting local organizers, national partners, and faith leaders.

• Honor those who died in solitary confinement and demand systemic accountability.

• Propel policy momentum toward ending torture and advancing humane, restorative justice in Louisiana and beyond.

This retreat is not just a gathering — it is a turning point.

Call to Action: Stand with Us

The movement cannot succeed without collective action. You can:

1. Sign the Petition – Add your name to demand an end to solitary confinement. Each signature shows that public demand for justice cannot be ignored.

2. Amplify the Voices – Share survivor stories and retreat updates using hashtags like #EndSolitary and #UnlockTheBox.

3. Join the Retreat – Attend in New Orleans October 3–5, or follow online updates from ISSC and JAC.

4. Support Survivor-Led Work – Donate to ISSC or JAC to strengthen this movement.

5. Hold Leaders Accountable – Send the petition and survivor testimony to your state and local officials.

Final Word

With leaders like Andrea Armstrong, Rev. Alexis Anderson, Caroline Durham, Naquasia Jones (NRCAT), Sherie Thomas (JAC), Gina Womack (FFLIC), and Laketa Smith (ABLS), and survivor voices Kiana Calloway, Consuela Gaines, Gerald McKnight, Taece Defillo, and Daryl Hill, the Louisiana Solitary Retreat promises to be a beacon of truth, healing, and action.

Together, we can transform isolation into action. Sign the petition. Stand with survivors. Join the movement to end solitary confinement.