Dear Suzanne,
Today I saw this video, Guantanamo Bay: The Hunger Strikes, on my newsfeed. It was based on the experiences of 5 men being detained at the prison. One man reveals that 84 of the men have been cleared for release but are being detained for no reason. In response to this injustice, some go on hunger strike. The animation tells us their story and shows the rough handling by the guards as they shove a feeding tube up a prisoner’s nose, force feeding him.
It amazes me how can someone treat another being like that. And how can the US government continue to detain these men when they have every right to be free to go? The injustice is incredible. I feel sad for their families who are waiting desperately at home, but feel angry for these men who are still cannot leave.
US prisons are horrible institutions where torture is inflicted on human beings. Take extended solitary confinement for example, probably one of the most awful things that a human being can be subjected to. Now imagine being trapped in a small windowless cell. Can you see those 4 cold empty walls? It is these four walls that you will see day after day. And 1 day becomes 4, becomes 364 – with each of those days spent looking at those same four walls.
Last May in California, the Centre for Constitutional Rights and a team of lawyers filed a complaint that challenged the constitutionality of putting someone in solitary confinement for over 10 years. At Pelican Bay State Prison, one of the prisoners had been confined for over 30 years. 30 YEARS. I haven’t even lived 30 years. It doesn’t take long before solitary confinement can significantly impact the mental well-being of someone – I can’t imagine what would happen if someone were to be subject to this torture for 30 years!
To protest extended solitary confinement, some 30,000 prisoners went on hunger strike at Pelican Bay in California. They have every right to be angry because their rights were (and still are) being violated! Men are being confined for reasons such as gang-affiliation (not even gang activity), others have barely spoken to their families (“twice in 22 years”), and many more are constantly being denied release.
America, your criminal justice system is barbaric – why are we still torturing people in this day and age?! And it’s not just adults either, children as young as 14 or 15 are being confined too. Human beings are not meant to be confined and social isolated, and doing so for more than 15 days can have lasting mental damage. These psychological effects “include anxiety, depression, anger, cognitive disturbances, perceptual distortions, obsessive thoughts, paranoia, and psychosis“. It’s disturbing, really.
Suzanne, I have a feeling this is only the first of many posts about how problematic the current prison system is. For now, I think I’ll just leave it at this: Solitary confinement is downright a human rights abuse.
Until next time,
J
Dear Suzanne 