Local Book Notes: Solitary Confinement Is Torture

Over the transom and through the news. All links added.

1. The Marion Experiment.

"Taking readers into the darkness of solitary confinement, this searing collection of convict experiences, academic research, and policy recommendations shines a light on the proliferation of super-maximum-security prisons and the detrimental effects of long-term high-security confinement on prisoners and their families," SIU Press says.

"Stephen C. Richards, an ex-convict who served time in nine federal prisons before earning his Ph.D in criminology, argues the supermax prison era began in 1983 at USP Marion in southern Illinois, where the first 'control units' were built by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

"The Marion Experiment, written from a convict criminology perspective, offers an introduction to long-term solitary confinement and supermax prisons, followed by a series of first-person accounts by prisoners - some of whom are scholars - previously or currently incarcerated in high-security facilities, including some of the roughest prisons in the Western world.

"Scholars also address the widespread 'Marionization' of solitary confinement; its impact on female, adolescent, and mentally ill prisoners and families; and international perspectives on imprisonment.

"As a bold step toward rethinking supermax prisons, Richards presents the most comprehensive view of the topic to date to raise awareness of the negative aspects of long-term solitary confinement and the need to re-evaluate how prisoners are housed and treated.

"Stephen C. Richards, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Soros Senior Justice Fellow, is the author of numerous journal articles, chapters, and books, including Convict Criminology; Behind Bars: Surviving Prison; and Behind Bars: Rejoining Society after Prison."

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See also:
* Torture: The Use of Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons.

* Solitary Confinement By Definition Is Psychological Torture.

* Rampant Use Of Solitary Confinement In The U.S. Constitutes Torture.

* Touchless Torture.

And:

My story. Man cleared of rape but back in prison because he broke a sink while in solitary for crime he didn't commit http://t.co/2NZ2PAyn9d

— Dan Hinkel (@dhinkel) March 10, 2015

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2. The Life and Mind of a Family Mass Murderer.

Also from SIU Press:

"Survived by One: The Life and Mind of a Family Mass Murderer is a unique endeavor. It combines the psychological expertise of Robert E. Hanlon, Ph.D, a prominent Chicago-based neuropsychologist, and the raw narration of Thomas Odle, a man serving a life sentence for the murder of his parents, his two brothers, and his sister.

"Familicide is fairly uncommon, making Odle's story all the more compelling . . . Survived by One is a well-written, well-guided, autobiographical narrative of a convicted murderer's life, before, during, and after the pivotal events that shaped his story." - Psychiatric Times

See: Inside The Mind Of A Man Who Killed His Family.

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3. The Naughty Girls Guide To Chicago is on the way.

And we are sad.

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Comments welcome.

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