On the morning of Sept. 2, a small group of people gathered outside the Snohomish County Jail in Everett, facing a tall concrete wall with narrow black windows.

Langley resident Patrice Huth grabbed her megaphone as the people around her held signs and played the drums.

“Jeremy! Dylan! Antonial! Chris!” she called, echoed by some of the other women. “Your moms are here! Your support is here!”

Not hearing a response, the crowd made more noise. They knew the men behind the thick walls had been waiting for that morning with excitement and hope.

Suddenly, the sound of dozens of hands banging the walls came from inside the building, and the crowds’ faces lit up. The shouting became louder, catching the attention of some curious passersby.

Patrice Huth, 67, and her mother, 90-year-old Dallas Huth from Langley, are leading the ongoing effort by a small group of people to demand better living conditions for inmates placed in solitary confinement.

Patrice Huth’s son, Jeremy Huth, has been in the Snohomish County Jail since 2020 for drug dealing and unlawful possession of firearms and is waiting for the disposition of his case. Over the past eight weeks, he’s been living in what the jail calls maximum security housing — or max housing — in conditions that his mother and grandmother described as “inhumane.”

Like the other inmates in max housing, Jeremy Huth spends 22 hours a day in his cell, alone, with only some books and his thoughts to keep him company. The jail allows him two hours of recreation time for showering, exercising and calling loved ones.

When the Huths found out he was thrown into “the hole,” Dallas Huth — who is also a member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island — decided to protest not only for her grandson, but for all inmates in maximum security housing. A total of 50 inmates were in max housing as of Sept. 11, according to Courtney O’Keefe, director of communications at the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

In an email, O’Keefe explained some inmates are in max housing for assaulting corrections staff, for consistently violating rules, for possessing drugs in jail or for protection from other inmates.

Though the jail could not release Jeremy Huth’s disciplinary records, the reasons that led him to his current situation did not involve violent behaviors, according to his family. The Huths said he was believed to be involved with some overdoses in the jail.

According to a source with over 20 years of experience in corrections who prefers not to have his name published, two hours of recreation time per day is not enough for the wellbeing of individuals who might experience significant mental health issues or see their preexisting symptoms get worse of left in solitary.

“Humans aren’t meant to be isolated,” the source said.

Furthermore, such restrictions may leave the inmate without any motivation to improve their behavior — instead, they may become more defiant.

“Over time, their social skills change quite a bit,” the source said, adding that he’s seen many inmates placed in solitary develop post traumatic stress disorder. Often, after being released from jail, these individuals cannot function in society and end up being arrested again.

Solitary confinement is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions, a series of treaties that set standards for the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war. According to the United Nations, keeping an individual in solitary confinement for more than 15 days is considered psychological torture.

According to the Vera Institute of Justice, the effects of prolonged isolation — 22 to 24 hours a day — with little to no meaningful contact with others can have devastating consequences on the human psyche, with side effects including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, paranoia, impulse control issues and even hallucinations.

Furthermore, the UN says, solitary confinement is illegal under international law when it’s used to punish individuals with mental or physical disabilities. Patrice Huth said her son has a drug addiction, which according to the Washington State Human Rights Commission, is a disability.

Regardless of one’s behavior and crimes, the Huths believe solitary confinement is pointless torture that takes away people’s chances of getting better, causing great suffering to the inmates and their families.

Patrice Huth said her son has lost 10 pounds, and though he tries his best to stay strong, she can tell he’s been losing his energy.

“I can hear the failing tone of his voice, the failing of his attitude,” she said. “He is left alone with the thoughts of the last eight years of addiction and what it’s brought him to.”

Everyday, the Huths said, the inmates in maximum security cells hear screams, suicide threats and loud banging. One night, Jeremy Huth heard an inmate scream all night long.

On Aug. 15, Patrice Huth launched a petition on change.org urging the Snohomish County Jail to release her son from solitary confinement and give him a more humane treatment. As of Sept. 7, the petition has garnered 287 signatures. But to the mother and grandmother, petitions aren’t enough.

Patrice Huth first protested alone on Aug. 26, at the same location. She said she heard a yell from inside after she announced herself through the megaphone. When she called her son that night, he told her that her presence gave the inmates some hope that there were people out there who cared about them.

She returned with her mother the following week, joined by some members of the Unitarian Church, family members of some men in isolation and some former inmates who have experienced solitary confinement firsthand and wanted to help the cause.

Among the protesters there was a woman from Clinton, Joan Gerteis. She said her late brother used to work at a jail in New York and became an alcoholic to cope with the emotional toll of his job.

“This is sympathy for people who are working for the system to some degree as well,” Gerteis said.

After the protest, Patrice Huth said Jeremy and two other inmates whose mothers showed up Saturday were written up for inciting a riot in the jail; kicking the doors and the walls creates loud noises that make communication difficult, O’Keefe said. Patrice Huth also said they were denied toilet paper, an allegation that O’Keefe denied.

O’Keefe said the jail provides a safe and humane environment for inmates, and it’s in line with all state and federal regulations.

“Our goal is to ensure inmates leave our facility with positive hope towards the future and more tools in their toolbox to assist them with long term life success. While in custody, inmates receive mental health, behavioral health and substance use treatment options,” O’Keefe said. “We are continuously improving and expanding on the programs offered inside our jail to help reduce recidivism and ensure inmates are set up for success upon release.”

To Patrice Huth, none of this takes away from the realities of solitary confinement.

“It’s 22 hours a day in solitary confinement. They can dress it up all they want, but that’s what it is,” wrote Patrice Huth, who is currently recovering from a heart attack she had a few days after the protest. “To hear our children cry and to hear our children pound on the wall is devastating and evidently can give a mother a heart attack.”

In a statement released in June, the Department of Corrections announced its commitment to reduce the use of solitary confinement in its prisons by 90% over the next five years and acknowledged that “while it can be an effective way to deter violence, spending prolonged periods of time in isolation has devastating effects on an individual’s mental and physical health long after they leave our facilities.”

The Huths believe there is no reason not to make the change happen now rather than in 2028.

The current plan, Patrice said, is to light a spark at the Snohomish County Jail, persuading the administration to transfer inmates into the vacant regular cells and to give them less hours of isolation. Then, they will bring the issue to the attention of the legislature and the governor in hopes of putting an end to this form of punishment.

“Even if my son gets out of solitary confinement, I won’t stop,” Patrice Huth said. “We’re going to make a change.”

Photo by Luisa Loi/Whidbey News-Times Protesters stand in front of the Snohomish County Corrections building with signs.

Photo by Luisa Loi/Whidbey News-Times Protesters stand in front of the Snohomish County Corrections building with signs.

Photo by Luisa Loi/Whidbey News-Times Protesters stand in front of the Snohomish County Corrections building with signs.

Photo by Luisa Loi/Whidbey News-Times Protesters stand in front of the Snohomish County Corrections building with signs.