Inmates in California’s state prisons have been waging a persistent battle against what they call discriminatory isolation policies, using hunger strikes as a powerful tool to demand recognition of their fundamental human rights.

In June 2025, approximately 500 men at Salinas Valley State Prison launched a two-week hunger strike to protest severe restrictions that had halted visitations and limited movement within the facility. These “modified programs,” implemented by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), were ostensibly introduced to address increased violence and drug issues, but activists argue they amount to a form of collective punishment.

Dolores Canales, co-founder of California Families Against Solitary Confinement, describes these restrictions as “an abyss of turmoil and confusion” that effectively create solitary-like conditions by preventing inmates from leaving their cells even for visits. This echoes earlier struggles, such as the massive hunger strikes between 2011 and 2013, which involved over 30,000 prisoners fighting against indefinite solitary confinement.

The 2012 legal settlement Ashker v. Governor of California was a significant milestone, forcing CDCR to reduce solitary confinement and prohibiting placement in isolation based solely on gang affiliation. However, advocates like Professor Keramet Reiter argue that long-term isolation persists, often disguised under different names like “Administrative Segregation Unit”.

Governor Gavin Newsom has twice vetoed the California Mandela Act, which would have capped solitary confinement at 15 consecutive days and prohibited its use for vulnerable populations. Incarcerated journalist Steve Brooks emphasizes that these struggles are fundamentally about human dignity: “Everything stems from this idea of being treated like a human being”.

Currently, advocates are supporting Assembly Bill 701, introduced by Assemblymember Liz Ortega, which would conduct a comprehensive study on solitary confinement practices across California’s detention facilities. The ongoing resistance demonstrates that the fight for humane treatment continues, with prisoners and their supporters refusing to be silenced.