Global Ethics Corner: Do Super-Maximum Security Prisons Constitute Cruel and Unusual Punishment?
From: Carnegie Council
Series: Global Ethics Corner
Length: 02:06
Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues. It presents both sides of an issue, asking viewers to weigh the information and make up their own minds.
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Piece Description
Global Ethics Corner is a weekly 2 minute segment devoted to newsworthy ethical issues. It presents both sides of an issue, asking viewers to weigh the information and make up their own minds.
Transcript
It's a bad time for advocates of prisoner rights. In a surprise decision, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a British request to extradite five suspects wanted in the U.S. on terrorism charges. The decision was a blow to human rights advocates, who argue that suspects face cruel and unusual punishment in America's "Supermax" facilities.
In the post-Alcatraz era, super-maximum security prisons have become the long-term holding place for America's most dangerous criminals. Home to notorious terrorists and murders, Supermax facilities offer ultra-high security levels that are virtually escape-proof. But the Supermax has come under scrutiny for standards that critics say violate basic human rights and run counter to the U.S. constitution.
Few suggest that life in a Supermax is easy. These prisons hold inmates in solitary confinement. Many face life without parole and can...
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Additional Credits
Deborah Carroll – Executive Producer
Marlene Spoerri – Contributing Writer
Julia Kennedy - Content Editor
Robert Smithline - Editor
Terence Hurley - Editor
Gusta Johnson - Production Assistant
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