cruel and unusual punishment

Truthdiggers of the Week: Inmates and Lawyers Against Solitary Confinement

BLANK Aug 23, 2015 A 2011 hunger strike by California convicts attracted the attention of human rights advocates, and that led to an extraordinary alliance. If this group of lawyers and prisoners has its way, the barbaric conditions in our prisons will come to an end. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

A Simple Fix for Our Execution Problem

T.L. Caswell / Truthdig May 28, 2014 Shortages of lethal drugs are causing executions to be botched in horrible ways, but the resulting public outcry could help clear a path to a lasting, moral solution. Dig deeper ( 13 Min. Read )

Truthdiggers of the Week: Lawyers Representing California Hunger Strikers

BLANK Sep 9, 2013 Hunger-striking inmates seeking an end to California's use of solitary confinement concluded their two-month protest Thursday, three days after state lawmakers pledged to hold legislative hearings on conditions in the state's maximum security prisons.Hunger-striking inmates seeking an end to California's use of solitary confinement concluded their two-month protest Thursday. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Cleaning Up California’s Cruel Prison System

Bill Boyarsky / Truthdig May 26, 2011 Much as it did with the South regarding segregated schools and other public facilities in the Jim Crow days, the Supreme Court has ordered a recalcitrant California to obey the Constitution.It was an amazing decision for this conservative Supreme Court. The impact could well reach throughout the country. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Supreme Court Orders California to Lose as Many as 46,000 Prisoners

Staff / Truthdig May 24, 2011 California's overcrowded prisons have "fallen short of minimum constitutional requirements," causing "needless suffering and death," according to a 5-4 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. The state, which imposes draconian sentences on repeat offenders, must now find a way to reduce its prison population by at least 38,000 inmates. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )