Online International Conference on Alternatives to Solitary Confinement
An online international conference on alternatives to solitary confinement will be held on December 11, 2025, bringing together leading global experts to address one of the most critical human rights issues in incarceration systems worldwide.
Extensive research has documented the harmful effects of solitary confinement on both mental and physical health. International conventions recognize prolonged solitary confinement beyond 15 days as a form of torture and prohibit its use for vulnerable populations, including minors, pregnant women, and individuals with mental disabilities.
Despite this, solitary confinement continues to be used globally as a default measure in detention settings, often for extended periods lasting months or years. In practice, it is frequently applied as a management tool against individuals perceived as difficult, nonconforming, or targeted for abuse. In Israel, the practice persists with the consent and involvement of physicians.
PHRI’s International Project
For more than three decades, Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) has worked to end the use of solitary confinement in Israeli incarceration facilities. However, the Israel Prison Service continues to hold incarcerated individuals in prolonged isolation, including minors and people with mental disabilities.
In response to claims that viable alternatives do not exist, PHRI launched an international project in 2022, in partnership with the Italian organization Associazione Antigone, to identify practical alternatives to solitary confinement in prisons.
Experts from eight countries collaborated to develop a set of recommendations offering both short-term steps to remove individuals from solitary confinement and long-term strategies to address systemic conditions that lead to isolation practices. The guiding statement has since been presented to UN bodies, international conferences, incarceration authorities, and civil society organizations, and has been widely adopted.
Conference Details
The December 11 conference will be based on this guiding statement and is expected to be one of the most significant international events focused on alternatives to solitary confinement.
Date: December 11, 2025
Format: Online International Conference
Topic: Alternatives to Solitary Confinement
Hosted by: Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI)
Program details and registration are available through PHRI.
Register here.