Religious leaders and local advocates are calling for an end to solitary confinement in state prisons. 

The group held a virtual meeting Thursday. They shared personal stories of mental and physical anguish and the lack of human contact the incarcerated face. 

Jerome Wright is the campaign organizer for the Humane Alternatives to Long Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act.

Wright, along with dozens of advocates, are pushing for a vote and passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act. 

The act would eliminate solitary confinement for vulnerable prison populations, including people with mental and physical disabilities--as well as limiting isolation to 15 days. 

Advocates say for some inmates, solitary confinement can last for months or even years. 

They also pointed to the disproportionate number of people of color impacted. They say Black people make up 18% of New Yorkers but account for 48% of people in the state prison system and 57% restricted from human contact.