[NYAPRS Enews] Alert: Legislators, Leading Mental Health Advocates From Rally To Urge Passage of HALT Bill

[Harvey Rosenthal]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 4, 2020
Contact: Harvey Rosenthal, (518) 527-0564

**MEDIA ADVISORY**
Press Conference Today (2/4)
12:45 p.m. at the NYS Capitol, 4th Floor Lobby
188 State Street, Albany, NY 12224

LEGISLATORS AND LEADING MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES FROM ACROSS NEW YORK STATE RALLY TO URGE LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR CUOMO TO ENACT #HALTSOLITARY

Senate Mental Health Chair, Other Legislators Join New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health Association of NYS, and Other Mental Health Advocates to Call for End to Torture

WHAT: As part of a Mental Health Day of Action for the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Confinement Act (S.1623-Sepúlveda/A.2500-Aubry), Senate Mental Health Chair Carlucci, lead Senate HALT Sponsor Sepúlveda, leading mental health organizations, along with survivors of solitary, their family members, and other mental health advocates, will hold a speak-out and press conference calling for passage of the bill.

Solitary confinement has long been known to cause devastating mental health harm to all people subjected to the practice, and New York continues to hold hundreds of people with pre-existing mental health conditions, and thousands of other people, in solitary confinement each day. A recent study<https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/9MYfCDkx9ohpMkfWxzQ_> found that people who spend time in solitary are much more likely to die upon release from prison, including because of increased rates of suicide.

The New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health Association in New York State and other top mental health advocacy groups have long endorsed and advocated for HALT, and are calling on New York's leaders to enact the bill this session. Throughout the day, mental health advocates from across New York, will convene in Albany to meet with legislators, and advocate for passage of HALT.

VISUALS/SOUND: Banners, signs, songs, and chants.

WHO: NYS Senate Mental Health Chair David Carlucci, Lead Senate HALT Sponsor Luis Sepúlveda, other legislators, the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health Association of NY, survivors of solitary confinement, their family members, and other mental health advocates

WHERE: Fourth Floor of the Capitol

WHEN: Tuesday, February 4 @ 12:45 pm.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://kilakwa.net/pipermail/nyaprs_kilakwa.net/attachments/20200204/38fa4f05/attachment.html>