Solitary Confinement: The Hole Truth

10/22/24 • 29 min

In this week's episode, we interview Kim Romero, the mother of Nick Romero (a prison inmate and PenPals.Buzz member in Shelton, WA). Nick has been locked up in a solitary confinement cell for over eight months...and won't be getting released anytime soon. His story is all too common. Administrators of jails and prisons around the country will tell you that they're using solitary confinement less and less often for punishment. On the surface, this sounds great. But what they won't tell you is that over 125,000 men and women are currently locked up in isolation and segregation cells, with zero human interaction, no outdoor time, and no opportunity to participate in any of the programs or services the prison offers to the general population inmates. In Washington jails, many inmates are put into solitary confinement cells merely because they have a physical or mental disability, or because the prison needs to fill the bed space. These restrictive lockdowns and the lack of human interaction has been considered "torture" by the United Nations, and many believe it's also a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Physicians worldwide will attest to the physical and mental harm this isolation can cause. As a case in point, just in the state of Washington alone, 176 people have attempted suicide while locked alone in one of these solitary cells. 14 died. Learn Kim and Nick's story and hear how they have been affected by this cruel and unusual (non) punishment.

Previous Episode

Brian Dripps: Convicted of Angie Dodge Murder After 25 Years

Angie Dodge was raped and murdered by Brian Dripps in 1996. The location of the murder? Her bedroom in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The cause of death? Stabbing (and near decapitation). But Brian Dripps wasn't arrested until 2019 -- 23 years after the crime occurred. Another man, Chris Tapp (completely unrelated to the crime) was wrongfully convicted and served 20 years in prison until he was finally exonerated due to advances in DNA testing. Dripps has been interviewed by Dateline, 48 hours, and 20/20, but claims that due to editing, he was never able to tell his true story. Until now, that is. Join PenPals.Buzz founder Big Steve as he interviews Brian Dripps about the Angie Dodge murder and his feelings during the 20+ years that the wrong man (Tapp) was incarcerated for the crime. Was Dripps afraid, each and every day of his "freedom," that the truth would finally come out? Did he panic every time he saw a police car between 1996 and 2019? How did his kids feel when they found out that their dad committed this horrible crime so many years ago? Do they still visit him today? You won't want to miss the bizarre and tragic twists and turns that happened after Tapp was exonerated. The interview also brings up a compelling question: is it possible that someone who committed a murder could essentially black out and forget that they killed someone? We think it's highly unlikely, but certain research shows it could theoretically be possible. Share your thoughts here.

Next Episode

Inmate Service Companies: Hear Real Reviews from Inmates

Books such as The Best Resource Directory for Prisoners and Inmate Shopper list thousands of resources for prison and jail inmates. Companies around the USA offer services including online research, book and magazine sales, email forwarding, gift purchasing, printing photos of beautiful women, pen pals, blogs for inmates, discount phone calls, correspondence college courses, and much more. But which ones are reliable, and which ones should be avoided? In this podcast episode, we interview Illinois inmate, Daniel Patrykus. Daniel's blog, The Best Inmate Service Companies, details some of his go-to companies for inmate services. He talks with us in depth about some of these companies, and why he likes to use them (or not use some of them). Then, we talk with Gary L. Smith, the founder of Felon's Friend, a company that strives to do whatever it takes (as long as it's legal) to help inmates. Finally, we chat with new PenPals.Buzz member, James Hartfield, about his favorite companies, and about what he is looking for in a pen pal. This episode is packed with helpful information for inmates and their families.