Posted on 06/03/2013 1:03:26 PM PDT by Olog-hai
Prolonged use of solitary confinement for prisoners with serious mental illness and intellectual disabilities is unconstitutional and violates the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division says.
In a findings letter issued on Friday, DOJ announced the results of its investigation into the Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution at Cresson in Cambria County, Pa.
Although Cresson is slated to be closed, the investigation is not over: The Justice Department has notified the governor that it is expanding its investigation to include all Pennsylvania prisons to see if they also rely on solitary confinement as a means of warehousing prisoners with serious mental illness and other problems.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
I wish I could say I was surprised, but I am only surprised that such prisoners are not in a psych ward.
How silly, we don’t have any, do we?
What the heck are they up to again.
Got an idea.
If they murderers you can set up an early release program by making certain there is a sturdy fixture in the ceiling and making sure their bedding includes good, strong, sheets.
Outrageous!
Given previous court precedents on the right to treatment, I would agree with DOJ that solitary confinement for a psychotic person is both an unconstitutional denial of treatment and an abuse of discretion.
What about the other prisoners? They are likely to be only marginally better equipped to function in prison, but do they not also have rights?
So they will be stuck in a locked room by themselves in a psych ward, that’s better? (If they get seen by doctors on the same schedule in both cases.)
Laying the groundwork for the day when Zippy’s entire administration is in jail.
No worries, I’ll settle for regular jail.
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