Leslie Credle and Romilda Pereira, advocates with the group who both spent months in solitary, say that it’s essential that impacted people weigh in. Doing so “allows people to be aware of what the DOC is actually doing, versus what they’re telling you they’re doing,” Credle tells The Progressive. Pereira, who serves as the group’s interim coordinator, adds that it’s also crucial that lawmakers visit prisons regularly, because doing so makes the conditions real for them.