"The numbers are staggering but even worse is the length of terms...It is not uncommon for people to spend 25, 30 years and even more in solitary confinement," says UN torture investigator Juan Mendez. (Photo: jmiller291/flickr/cc)
Mar 12, 2015
A United Nations investigator has accused the U.S. of blocking access to prisons--including state and federal facilities where an estimated 80,000 people are in solitary confinement and the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba--leading civil liberties experts to wonder, "Is the United States hiding something?"
Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, told reporters in Geneva on Wednesday that for two years he has asked to visit federal prisons in New York and Colorado and state prisons in New York, California, and Louisiana, among others.
"It's simply outrageous that it's taking such a long time to provide access to American detention facilities."
--Jamil Dakwar, ACLU
Meanwhile, UN human rights experts have asked to visit Guantanamo since 2004.
But responses from the U.S. have been unsatisfactory, Mendez said Wednesday.
He rejected the terms offered by U.S. authorities to visit Guantanamo, which he described thusly: "The invitation is to get a briefing from the authorities and to visit some parts of the prison, but not all, and specifically I am not allowed to have unmonitored or even monitored conversations with any inmate in Guantanamo Bay."
According to the Guardian, "Mendez said he had declined the invitation and asked the United States to replace it with one he can accept, to no avail."
Jamil Dakwar, head of human rights at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), criticized the U.S. for dragging its feet on the requests.
"It's simply outrageous that it's taking such a long time to provide access to American detention facilities," he said. "This begs the question: is the United States hiding something?" he wrote to the Agence France-Presse news agency in an email.
U.S. officials have not been more forthcoming with access to prisons, where Mendez wants to monitor the use of solitary confinement.
"[I]n one of my last conversations they said that federal prisons were unavailable," he said. "I cannot accept an invitation to, say, go to a California prison if the federal prisons are off-limits to me."
According to the ACLU, more than 80,000 people are held in solitary confinement in the United States on any given day.
"The numbers are staggering but even worse is the length of terms...It is not uncommon for people to spend 25, 30 years and even more in solitary confinement," Mendez said.
As ACLU's Dakwar toldReuters: "Overuse of solitary confinement in the United States is cruel and shameful but hiding or denying it just makes it worse."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
A United Nations investigator has accused the U.S. of blocking access to prisons--including state and federal facilities where an estimated 80,000 people are in solitary confinement and the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba--leading civil liberties experts to wonder, "Is the United States hiding something?"
Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, told reporters in Geneva on Wednesday that for two years he has asked to visit federal prisons in New York and Colorado and state prisons in New York, California, and Louisiana, among others.
"It's simply outrageous that it's taking such a long time to provide access to American detention facilities."
--Jamil Dakwar, ACLU
Meanwhile, UN human rights experts have asked to visit Guantanamo since 2004.
But responses from the U.S. have been unsatisfactory, Mendez said Wednesday.
He rejected the terms offered by U.S. authorities to visit Guantanamo, which he described thusly: "The invitation is to get a briefing from the authorities and to visit some parts of the prison, but not all, and specifically I am not allowed to have unmonitored or even monitored conversations with any inmate in Guantanamo Bay."
According to the Guardian, "Mendez said he had declined the invitation and asked the United States to replace it with one he can accept, to no avail."
Jamil Dakwar, head of human rights at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), criticized the U.S. for dragging its feet on the requests.
"It's simply outrageous that it's taking such a long time to provide access to American detention facilities," he said. "This begs the question: is the United States hiding something?" he wrote to the Agence France-Presse news agency in an email.
U.S. officials have not been more forthcoming with access to prisons, where Mendez wants to monitor the use of solitary confinement.
"[I]n one of my last conversations they said that federal prisons were unavailable," he said. "I cannot accept an invitation to, say, go to a California prison if the federal prisons are off-limits to me."
According to the ACLU, more than 80,000 people are held in solitary confinement in the United States on any given day.
"The numbers are staggering but even worse is the length of terms...It is not uncommon for people to spend 25, 30 years and even more in solitary confinement," Mendez said.
As ACLU's Dakwar toldReuters: "Overuse of solitary confinement in the United States is cruel and shameful but hiding or denying it just makes it worse."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
A United Nations investigator has accused the U.S. of blocking access to prisons--including state and federal facilities where an estimated 80,000 people are in solitary confinement and the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba--leading civil liberties experts to wonder, "Is the United States hiding something?"
Juan Mendez, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, told reporters in Geneva on Wednesday that for two years he has asked to visit federal prisons in New York and Colorado and state prisons in New York, California, and Louisiana, among others.
"It's simply outrageous that it's taking such a long time to provide access to American detention facilities."
--Jamil Dakwar, ACLU
Meanwhile, UN human rights experts have asked to visit Guantanamo since 2004.
But responses from the U.S. have been unsatisfactory, Mendez said Wednesday.
He rejected the terms offered by U.S. authorities to visit Guantanamo, which he described thusly: "The invitation is to get a briefing from the authorities and to visit some parts of the prison, but not all, and specifically I am not allowed to have unmonitored or even monitored conversations with any inmate in Guantanamo Bay."
According to the Guardian, "Mendez said he had declined the invitation and asked the United States to replace it with one he can accept, to no avail."
Jamil Dakwar, head of human rights at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), criticized the U.S. for dragging its feet on the requests.
"It's simply outrageous that it's taking such a long time to provide access to American detention facilities," he said. "This begs the question: is the United States hiding something?" he wrote to the Agence France-Presse news agency in an email.
U.S. officials have not been more forthcoming with access to prisons, where Mendez wants to monitor the use of solitary confinement.
"[I]n one of my last conversations they said that federal prisons were unavailable," he said. "I cannot accept an invitation to, say, go to a California prison if the federal prisons are off-limits to me."
According to the ACLU, more than 80,000 people are held in solitary confinement in the United States on any given day.
"The numbers are staggering but even worse is the length of terms...It is not uncommon for people to spend 25, 30 years and even more in solitary confinement," Mendez said.
As ACLU's Dakwar toldReuters: "Overuse of solitary confinement in the United States is cruel and shameful but hiding or denying it just makes it worse."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.