Solitary confinement = Torture by another name in US prisons

Solitary Confinement does not leave any bruises or marks on your body, only on your mental health.  America does not have enough lunatics running around all over our world, so let the solitary confinement torture continue, eh? 

John Kiriakou writes:
.....Many Americans think that solitary is reserved for the worst and most dangerous criminals. In most cases, that’s simply not true. Solitary is used not for the safety of inmates or prison guards, but as a punishment and as an expression of power by guards.

For example, a prisoner can be sent to solitary for “insolence” or for “investigation.” What does that mean? Anything the guard wants it to.

Talk back to an officer? Solitary! Take more than 15 minutes to eat your meal? Solitary! An anonymous source accuses you of gambling? Straight to solitary.

When an inmate is sent to solitary, the prison’s internal investigators are supposed to begin an inquiry into his or her behavior. They’re given 90 days to do it, after which the prisoner should be released back to the prison’s general population.

But in fact, the investigators can renew the 90-day solitary period for a full year. That’s an entire year living in a small gray room the size of a walk-in closet with no human contact. It would make just about anybody crazy.....

.....Ohio recently banned solitary for juveniles. That’s terrific. But until each and every state addresses this human rights issue, ours will be a nation that officially practices torture.....