"Jay Marriott entered the common room at Snake River Correctional Facility, his six-foot frame swaying slightly—his body, perhaps, adjusting to an unfamiliar lightness. For years, he had been bound in shackles every time he left his small cell, burdened by chains that gripped his hands, feet, and body. Now, as he sat at the desk, a lone chain around his ankle tethered him to the seat.
There is something deeply unsettling about seeing a human being held by any chains at all. But for Jay, who had once been known among Oregon Department of Corrections staff as the “monster of Oregon,” and who had often been shackled in wrist and leg restraints, this represented undeniable progress.
As he began speaking about his life, Jay’s calm—occasionally even cheerful—bearing was evidence of the changes taking hold. Seated around him were incarcerated peer mentors, corrections officers, and other members of the “Resource Team” organized by Amend, a public health program based at the University of California, San Francisco, that helps individuals like Jay emerge from the long, dark shadow of years in solitary confinement. Just a few years ago, a conversation between Jay and this diverse group would have been unimaginable. Yet here he was."
-Edward Tie, SolitaryWatch.org