Here is the 8th Amendment in its entirety: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”
Today I read about a man in Florida who spent 18 years in solitary confinement (no windows, no contact) for a crime he committed when he was 13.
If James Madison came back, I think he would say, “What part of cruel and unusual don’t you understand.” A punishment like that is not what a civilized country does. This is unacceptable.
The Center for Constitutional Rights won a 10 year fight to abolish solitary confinement in the California state prison system. The most aggressive opponent was Kamala Harris, go figure.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry, but if "anonymous continues to be anonymous, I will have to delete the comments. I have no idea whether this is correct, and I don't think that solitary confinement is always a terrible punishment. If someone is given that punishment for two weeks, that may be a suitable punishment. There are degrees. Two weeks, ok. 18 years, not ok.
ReplyDelete