Abuse in US prisons cited

[dArKeR]

AP , NEW YORK
ADS1 Tuesday, May 18, 2004,Page 7

INHERENT VIOLENCE: A 1996 law that aimed to curb `frivolous' inmate lawsuits made it more difficult to appeal prison violence and abuses in US institutions .

The spotlight on abuse of detainees at a US military prison in Iraq has spurred hopes that attention will spill over to US prisons, where reformers say get-tough policies and public indifference have let longstanding problems fester.

There have been numerous examples over the years of guards misusing their authority over inmates. In the 1990s, Alabama offic-ers used to routinely handcuff state prisoners to a metal post in the sun; the US Supreme Court ruled this was unconstitutional. In Massachusetts, a jailor in 1993 poured boiling water on a child-killer's genitals. There have been convictions for rape and assault, and allegations of worse.

Prison administrators say there have been sweeping improvements in recent decades, with widespread acceptance that abusive behavior is unacceptable and that proper procedures can minimize it.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/05/18/2003156000