Prison writing

Cruel and Unusual: The Tragedy of Solitary Confinement in the U.S.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Constitution of United States of America 1789 (rev. 1992) Amendment VIII Imagine living in a room roughly the size of a parking space. A fully-grown man can reach out his arms and touch both walls at the same time. There is a sink that doubles as a toilet, and a bed with a concrete or metal base topped with a thin mattress. Your only access to the outside world is through a small slot in your door through which few people talk to you except to be abusive, you receive your limited and barely edible food, you are handcuffed before being let out of the room, and, sometimes, you are pe