Absolute isolation for two years or more is cruel punishment. All activity will be in solitude. Meals and showers will be in one's own cell. Education, visits and religious services will be by monitor also in the cell. Recreation of four hours a week will be in an empty concrete room with a small hole at floor level where, if you put your face on the floor, you can see outdoors. Experts agree that this extreme treatment will cause some prisoners' mental health to deteriorate. It is claimed that this excessive control and security is required to reform violent prisoners. [continues 90 words]
I recently toured the super-max prison at Boscobel. I am ashamed at how human beings will be treated by our state. Absolute isolation for two years or more is cruel punishment. All activity will be in solitude. Meals and showers will be in one's own cell. Education, visits and religious services will be by monitor also in the cell. Recreation of four hours a week will be in an empty concrete room with a small hole at floor level where, if you put your face on the floor, you can see outdoors. [continues 124 words]
To The Editor: I am not conerned about Governor Bush's virtual confession of using illegal drugs sometime before the age of 28 and then asking for uunderstanding, because I don't want to explore his personal life. I am concerned because it shows the double standard in how he and we as a society are dealing with drugs. The Governor has admitted to committing the same crime as the thousands of mostly poor and minority young people under the age of 28 now housed in prisons across America. In New York, for example, over 92 percent of those imprisoned for drug sale or possession are black or Hispanic. They have been imprisoned because of the so called "tough on crime, no tolerance for drugs" legislation that Conservatives like the Governor have supported and advocated. Perhaps the Governor can argue that he did not sell any drugs in those days of youthful indiscretion, but he did not have to. He had the cash. It might be asked if he shared drugs with other indiscreet wealthy young people in those days, but no matter. His call for understanding in this case would make more sense if he was willing to show similar compassionate conservatitism to those we lock away into our prisons. Jim Murphy [continues 5 words]
The governor has admitted to committing the same crime as the thousands of mostly poor and minority young people under the age of 28 now housed in prisons across America. In New York, for example, over 92 percent of those imprisoned for drug sale or possession are black or Hispanic. They have been imprisoned because of the so-called "tough on crime, no tolerance for drugs'' legislation that conservatives like the governor have supported and advocated. Perhaps the governor can argue that he did not sell any drugs in those days of youthful indiscretion, but he did not have to. He had the cash. It might be asked if he shared drugs with other indiscreet wealthy young people in those days, but no matter. His call for understanding in his case would make more sense if he was willing to show similar compassionate conservatism to those we lock away in our prisons. Jim Murphy, Scotia [end]
I am not conerned about Governor Bush's virtual confession of using illegal drugs sometime before the age of 28 and then asking for uunderstanding, because I don't want to explore his personal life. I am concerned because it shows the double standard in how he and we as a society are dealing with drugs. The Governor has admitted to committing the same crime as the thousands of mostly poor and minority young people under the age of 28 now housed in prisons across America. In New York, for example, over 92 percent of those imprisoned for drug sale or possession are black or Hispanic. They have been imprisoned because of the so called "tough on crime, no tolerance for drugs" legislation that Conservatives like the Governor have supported and advocated. [continues 78 words]
