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Force-Feeding is Cruel, Painful and Degrading – and American Prisons Won’t Stop
In a Colorado supermax facility, hunger-striking inmates have been force-fed and barred from sharing their ordeal with the outside world. A prisoner breaks his silence for the first time.
by Aviva Stahl, The Nation
It was November 11, 2015, and Mohammad Salameh hadn’t eaten in 34 days. The morning ...
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More from this issue:
- News in Brief
- California County Jail, Private Medical Provider to Pay $825,000 for Prisoner’s Death, by Chad Marks
- $100,000 Withheld from Washington Jail for Failure to Fully Implement Ban on Juvenile Solitary Confinement, by Chad Marks
- Kentucky Jail Rents Texting Devices to Prisoners, by Scott Grammer
- Cook County Commissioners Approve $1.5 Million Settlement for Jail Beating, by Chad Marks
- Tennessee Adopts Alternative Sentencing for Primary Caregivers of Minor Children, by Edward Lyon
- Oklahoma County Settles Lawsuit Over Jail Prisoner’s Suicide for $350,000, by Matthew Clarke
- Former BOP Official Pays $50,000 to Settle Anti-Kickback Claims, by Scott Grammer
- $500,000 Settlement in Lawsuit Over Alcohol Withdrawal Death of Indiana Jail Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
- President Trump Pardons Conservative Political Allies, by Douglas Ankney
- $50,000 for Missouri Jail Prisoner Who Suffered Injuries Caused by Broken Plumbing, by Edward Lyon
- Ninth Circuit Rejects Lawsuit by California Prisoners Over Exposure to Valley Fever, by Chad Marks
- Federal Court Caps Attorney Fees in Suit Over Teen Girl Raped in Oklahoma Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- Tennessee Prisoners File Lawsuit Challenging Video Visitation Policy at County Jail, by Chad Marks
- Increasing Number of Walkaways from California Early-Release Programs, by Edward Lyon
- Allegation that Prisoner was Beaten after Guard Outed Him as Sex Offender Stated Eighth Amendment Claim, by Douglas Ankney
- Thomas Silverstein, America’s Most Isolated Prisoner, Dies at Age 67, by Matthew Clarke
- Death Rate of Prisoners in Michigan Much Higher than Reported, by Kevin W. Bliss
- $185,000 Settlement in Beating of Florida Jail Prisoner; Guard Convicted, by David M. Reutter
- UK Using Facial Recognition Technology on Prison Visitors ... is the U.S. Next?, by Chad Marks
- Arizona Federal Court Levies Sanctions Against Corizon Health, by Edward Lyon
- Steep Cost for Sending Hawaii Prisoners to Mainland Facilities
- Preliminary Settlement in Lawsuit Against JPay Over Prison Video Calls Ending Early, by Scott Grammer
- Connecticut DOC Settles Calendar Lawsuit for $1,500, Policy Changes
- Former Florida Senator Now Employed by Private Prison Company He Helped While in the State Senate, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Build it and They will Come: Officials Claim Spokane, Washington Needs Bigger Jail, by Dale Chappell
- California Jailer Accused of Raping Detainees to Stand Trial, by Edward Lyon
- Cops, Guards Beat Mentally Ill Arrestee to Death as Jail Nurse Watches; $5 Million Settlement, by Edward Lyon
- $100,000 Settlement for Suicide of Mentally Ill Prisoner Repeatedly Raped, by Douglas Ankney
- $1.1 Million Settlement for Michigan Parole Officer in Sexual Harassment Suit, by David M. Reutter
- Seventh Circuit Reverses District Court’s Denial of Blind Prisoner’s Request for Counsel, by Douglas Ankney
- Commander of Guantanamo Bay Military Prison Fired, by Douglas Ankney
- Tennessee Jail Sexual Assault Lawsuit can Proceed, Federal Court Rules, by David M. Reutter
- Lawsuit Claims Denial of Medical Care Nearly Killed Prisoner at Colorado Jail, by Matthew Clarke
- Missouri DOC Costs State Another $600,000 in Sexual Harassment Settlement, by Douglas Ankney
- New York Appellate Court Holds Names of Prison Guards are Public Records, by Edward Lyon
- New York: $655,000 Award after State Found 100% Responsible for Prisoner Assault, by Douglas Ankney
- $30,000 Settlement for Pennsylvania Pretrial Detainee Subjected to Excessive Force, by David M. Reutter
- Pennsylvania County Pays $1.1 Million to Former Prisoner Beaten by Guards, by Chad Marks
- Mexican Mafia Crime Ring Busted in Los Angeles, San Bernardino County Jails, by Scott Grammer
- After Needless Prisoner Deaths, Connecticut DOC Takes Over Prison Healthcare, by Matthew Clarke
- Washington: Prisoners’ Complaints Lead to Changes in DOC’s Drug Testing Policy, by Chad Marks
- Mumia Abu-Jamal to Receive New Appellate Hearing, by David M. Reutter
- $60,000 Settlement for Female Pennsylvania Prisoner in Sexual Assault Suit, by David M. Reutter
- $118,000 Attorney Fee Award in Pennsylvania DOC Public Records Case, by David M. Reutter
- Correlation Between Dyslexia and Criminal Behavior; First Step Act to Require Screening, Treatment, by Douglas Ankney
- New Jersey Jail to Pay $1.2 Million for Strip Searching Detainees, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Final Settlement Entered in 1976 Class-Action Suit Against Florida Jail, by Scott Grammer
- Iowa Prisoners Say Law Banning Publications Containing Nudity Too Broad, by Kevin W. Bliss
- Should Private Companies Exploit Prisoners Through Exclusive Government Contracts?, by Dale Chappell
- Arizona DOC Bans Book Critical of Justice System, Reverses Decision Following Criticism, by Anthony W. Accurso
- Lawsuit Proceeds Over Death of Prisoner at Privately-Run Jail, by Scott Grammer
- Habeas Petition Granted Over Failing Roof, Unsanitary Conditions at California Prison, by Matthew Clarke
- New York County Pays $35,000 to Settle Retaliation Claim Against Sheriff, by Dale Chappell
- New California Law Bans Male Prison Guards from Pat-Searching Female Prisoners, by Scott Grammer
- Report Shows How Private Equity Firms Profit from Mass Incarceration, by Dale Chappell
- $2 Million Awarded to New Mexico Prisoner Left in Hot Transport Van, by Edward Lyon
- Missouri County Agrees to $60,000 Settlement in Wrongful Death Case, by Kevin Bliss
- Problems with Ion Scanners Used to Detect Drugs on Prison Visitors, by Edward Lyon
- Illinois Prison Phone Rates are Lowest Following Grassroots Activism, by Brian Dolinar
- Kentucky Corrections, Parole Officials Fired, by Edward Lyon
- CoreCivic Prisons in Tennessee Have Twice as Many Murders, Four Times the Homicide Rate as State-Run Facilities
- $30,000 Settlement in Pennsylvania Jail Excessive Strip Search Suit, by David M. Reutter
- Cook County Sheriff’s Office Pays $110,000 to Settle PLN Censorship Suit
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Force-Feeding is Cruel, Painful and Degrading – and American Prisons Won’t Stop, by Aviva Stahl
More from Aviva Stahl:
- Force-Feeding is Cruel, Painful and Degrading – and American Prisons Won’t Stop, Aug. 6, 2019
- Force-Feeding Is Cruel, Painful, and Degrading—and American Prisons Won’t Stop, June 6, 2019
- Why Sex Criminals Get Locked Up Forever, June 28, 2016
- “My Words Are Dangerous”: An Interview with Christopher Zoukis, March 1, 2016
- UN Committee on Torture Questions U.S. Record on Solitary Confinement, Nov. 21, 2014
- This Draconian System of Punishment and Abuse: An Interview with Former Political Prisoner Ray Luc Levasseur, Nov. 15, 2013
More from these topics:
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Federal Prisoner’s Conviction for Assaulting Guards at California Prison, Dec. 15, 2024. Excessive Force, Failure to Protect (Staff), Resentencing.
- Illinois Prisoners Stage Hunger Strikes Over DOC Failure to Implement New Sentence Reduction Law, Nov. 15, 2024. Hunger Strikes, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Resentencing, Reduction of Sentence.
- Solitary Confinement Prompts Lawsuit in Massachusetts, Hunger Strike in Maine, Sept. 15, 2024. Hunger Strikes, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.
- Cheap Food Enriching Profiteers, Making Prisoners Sick, Aug. 15, 2024. Food, Inadequate Health Care Facilities.
- California Supreme Court: Presence in High Crime Area and Desire to Avoid Contact With Police Does Not Amount to Reasonable Suspicion Justifying Detention for Suspected Criminal Activity, Aug. 1, 2024. Fourth Amendment, rights, Suspicionless Searches.
- Mentally Ill Detainee Allegedly Tasered and Starved to Death At South Carolina Jail, July 1, 2024. Food, Stun Guns/Tasers, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Chemical Spraying of Mentally Ill Inmates.
- West Virginia Slammed for High Costs, Low Quality of Privatized Prison Food, July 1, 2024. Food/Commissary (Private Prisons), Aramark, Corrections Audits, Food.
- Aramark: Prison Food for Thought, May 1, 2024. Aramark, Contractor Misconduct, Food, Religious Diet.
- Unable to Post Bail, Detainee Starves to Death in Arkansas Jail, April 26, 2024. Private Contractors, Food, Water, Jail Specific, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Bail/Pretrial Release.
- Massachusetts Prisoners Again Stage Hunger Strike Against Solitary Confinement, April 1, 2024. Hunger Strikes, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.