Feds say Pa. prison misused solitary confinement

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Posted on Friday, 05.31.13

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A federal civil rights investigation has concluded that a state prison in western Pennsylvania kept inmates with serious mental illness in solitary confinement for months or even years at a time.

The State Correctional Institution at Cresson violated the constitutional rights of inmates with mental illness and intellectual disabilities by keeping them in their cells 22 to 23 hours a day, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday. It said the prison used solitary confinement as a means of warehousing mentally ill inmates because of serious deficiencies in its mental health program.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections plans to close Cresson, but the Justice Department said the misuse of solitary confinement could extend to prisons statewide. The department is expanding its probe to include all state prisons.

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Cresson's misuse of solitary caused mental strain, depression, psychosis, self-mutilation and suicide, the investigation found. Cresson also denied the prisoners basic necessities and used excessive force, the federal agency said.

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Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/31/3427035/feds-say-pa-prison-misused-solitary.html

[pipoman]

1. And people wonder why homicidal maniacs

run wild..look no further than Raygun's defunding of reimbursements to states for mental health and addiction services..people who need mental health services didn't just vaporize with the closings of hundreds of state mental facilities...they ultimately were convicted of avoidable criminal offenses and filed away in the prison systems..

[ReRe]

2. True.

Just one of the reasons Reagan was not good for this country. After Roslynn Carter had worked so hard for Mental Health in this country, he comes in and throws them all out in the street. I felt it a direct repudiation of the former First Lady.

This whole damn country and all of it's institutions are in dire need of a complete overhaul. Bridges falling into the rivers. Reminds me of people who buy a home and then let it crumble to the ground in disrepair over the years. Shame on PA's prison system. This is the 21st century for Pete's sake, not the 12th.

[Sunlei]

3. at the local level in many of the States we need the Federal gov to save Americans.

Not just the 'for profit' prisons who are ruining/slow-killing their prisoner revenue streams.

"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" at the local level, the Gov, with their zoning, neighborhood associations, city-police oppression, is squashing people.

[tblue]

4. I want the perps sentenced to similar treatment

Just a taste of that sadistic and inhumane treatment. See how they like it. Dammit, I wish I was President or AG or something. I'd make this a high priority. This is TORTURE and it has to stop, and heads need to roll!

[littlewolf]

5. Don't know about PA .. but in NC when

anyone was put into SHU (segregated housing unit)
they saw Mental Health with in 72 hours (MH did not work weekends
they were on call and the duty nurse could call them in for various
situations like attempted suicides. but for a normal lockup (usually for fighting or positive drug test) they did not get called in.
usually if someone had bad MH issues they were sent to Central Prison
were they had enough staff to take care of them.

[adric mutelovic]

6. The use of solitary confinement must be very limited

It is almost tantamount to torture and should be used wisely.