Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Lee
What does that have to do with this? We have solitary confinement in every prison. It has passed Constitutional muster forever. How is it cruel or unusual to not let prisoners conduct criminal enterprises from behind bars? And when the 8th Amendment was written, cruel and unusual punishment didn't mean no a/c or cable tv or conjugal visits.
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In my reading of recent articles in that rag the LA Times - it was my understanding that solitary confinement over long periods was considered cruel and unusual punishment and required significant justification to continue, justification equal to evidence.
Solitary is something that is used routinely to get gang members to inform on other gang members but even this has been found to be cruel and unsual because forcing an inmate to inform is basically giving him a death sentence. You force him to put himself in grave mortal danger (of course we have little sympathy for the scared little gang banger).
I'm just saying why I think it isn't done.
Personally, I question if it is the right course of action but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be willing to try it.
Of course I believe torture is wrong too so what do I know.